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Waste Watch backs pay-as-you-throw
10/06/10
Edited by Sophie Griffiths. The government's decision to scrap what it called "bin taxes" that would see councils charging people for the amount of household waste they produce has been criticised by Waste Watch.
According to the body, which works to promote recycling, there is evidence that such levies have encouraged residential property owners to reduce rubbish in the same way that higher gas and electricity bills have fuelled the adoption of energy efficient light bulb or better insulation.
Communities secretary Eric Pickles ruled out the introduction of pay-as-you-throw charges earlier this week, saying there were concerns that the prospect of the penalties would lead to an increase in fly-tipping and people burning waste in their gardens.
He encouraged councils to adopt alternative schemes that reward home owners for recycling.
However, Mike Webster of Waste Watch said there is no evidence that pay-as-you-throw levies had increased incidents of fly-tipping in the areas where they have been introduced.
Furthermore, he argued that reward programmes, which are effectively "paying people to produce rubbish", could lead to property owners demanding incentives to adopt other eco-friendly behaviour, such as cycling to work or improving the energy efficiency of their homes.
