Government plans to tackle the country’s growing household waste problem are a bit of a rubbish idea, according to a committee of MPs.
Ministers trying to find ways to encourage people to throw away less and recycle more to help reduce the amount of
household waste thrown away every week. Click here to read the story.
The Local Government Association, the body which represents councils, says Britain is the “dustbin of Europe” throwing more rubbish into landfill sites than any other country in Europe.
Councils risk huge fines if they fail to cut the amount of rubbish chucked into landfills under new European Union restrictions and are looking for ways to do this.
The most controversial has been the introduction of alternate bin collections, where councils collect general rubbish one week and waste for recycling the next.
Those who do not comply face a “bin tax”, while under government plans councils can also introduce a “pay-as-you-throw” tax, based on the amount of waste people produce.
As an incentive, people who recycle their goods properly into separate sections can receive a 20-30 pound reward.
MPs who looked at the proposals say the ideas have not been discussed properly in some areas and warn the measures could lead to protests, more fly-tipping and could even see people dumping their rubbish in other people’s bins.
So should the government bin its proposed strategy? Or should people be punished for failing to recycle and rewarded for cutting down how much they throw away.
Let us know what you think.
