From the 1st April, the Government will fine councils if they fail to reduce the waste they send to landfill sites. This could have meant that councils were forced to dramatically increase the amount that they recycle. However, many councils are likely to cheat by either incinerating their rubbish instead of recycling it, or buying surplus allowances off other local authorities.
Councillor Darren Johnson AM, said:
‘The government position on this is absurd. The new rule could have been a real incentive for boroughs to recycle. Instead, the government is allowing councils to get away with incinerating more. The new rule is one big cheat in terms of sustainability. Only a fine on incineration, as well as landfill, will actually stop environmentally unfriendly councils from lowering their council tax bills by burning their waste.’
Greens on the Assembly are also concerned that the new rules could lead to a new raft of incinerators as some boroughs realise that it is cheaper for them to use incineration than pay penalties or buy allowances from other boroughs.
‘Councils in East London who are to have a dramatic increase in population under the government’s home building scheme will suffer under the new rule. It will be harder for them to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill because their total waste is likely to grow with population. Because councils will get away with incinerating rather than recycling it is likely that the rule will lead to pressure to build more incinerators in London.’
A new generation of big new incinerators are already planned around London: in Slough; Belvedere and Edmonton. Local people and campaigners have raised concerns about the amount of pollution produced by incinerators and have serious concerns about then impact of incinerators on health.
Notes for Editors
· Local authorities will have to pay a £200 fine for every tonne of waste which goes to land fill, over their allowance.
ENDS