Alongside the publication of the Waste Strategy for England 2007, the Government has launched a consultation on incentives for recycling by households. England currently disposes of 63% of municipal waste via landfill. Landfill sites are responsible for producing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas – methane emissions from biodegradable waste in landfill account for 38% of all UK methane emissions and 3% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government’s Waste Strategy 2007 aims to help England achieve increasing annual net reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions from waste management. Challenging targets for waste minimization and recycling in the Strategy, alongside EU targets for a reduction of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill, mean that local authorities need residents to take steps to reduce their waste, home compost more and recycle more.

The Local Government Association and some local authorities have called for the power to charge householders according to the amount of non-recyclable waste they throw away, in order to incentivise them to reduce their waste and recycle and home compost more. Local authorities may be given the power to introduce charging schemes for household waste. Such schemes are prohibited in the UK under current legislation but are widespread in other parts of Europe. The UK is the only EU country to have such a prohibition.

The Government is proposing to give local authorities the legal power to choose to introduce a revenue-neutral scheme, where this is desired locally, to financially incentivise householders to recycle and reduce waste. Authorities would be free to design their own schemes, provided they met Government requirements set out in the legislation, including the need to take steps to avoid increases in fly-tipping.

This consultation document seeks views on removing the ban on local authorities choosing to introduce a revenue-neutral scheme to financially incentivise householders to recycle and reduce waste, where this is desired locally.

The closing date for this consultation is 16 August 2007. Visit the following website for further information: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/waste-incentives/index.htm

Source: www.defra.gov.uk (accessed 08/06/07)

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