The UK produces more waste per head of population than many of its European neighbours and also has one of the worst recycling rates. These statistics, therefore, highlight why almost two thirds of people would support a “pay-as-you-throw” system of collecting household waste, according to a Local Government Association survey.
64% were in favour of lower council tax and charges according to how much rubbish people put out, therefore recyclers pay less.
With such public support, this proposed system of charges and rewards could lead to a much ‘greener’ Britain.
However being a voluntary option, and like all new schemes, people have been more than quick to point out problems. But if we are to challenge EU targets and catch up with the rest of Europe, some measures need to be taken urgently. Councils in England, and consequently the taxpayer, are facing fines of up to £3 billion over the next four year if European targets are not met for reducing the amount of waste thrown into landfill.
The options that the government have proposed are: a sack based system where households buy different sized pre-paid sacks; a weight based system, within this wheelie bins are fitted with chips to allow the bins to be weighed when they are collected; a volume based system, this makes households choose from a range of wheelie bin sizes according to the amount of waste they think they will generate. Other options include charging by frequency of collection or combinations of the above options.
A LGA survey revealed that 64% of you would support such schemes, but what do you think of these plans happening in your area?
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