The UK must maintain the momentum on waste prevention and recycling, because both the environmental and financial cost of not doing so is rising fast. In 2006/07, the recycling rate for household waste reached 30%, but that still means that over 60% of our waste is being consigned to landfill. In addition to being the least sustainable option for waste in environmental terms, the cost to councils is increasing and there is the risk of significant fines from Europe if we fail to reach targets designed to get waste out of landfill.

Encouraging behaviour change throughout society is therefore important, and a range of measures and tools are needed to achieve this. In this context, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) welcomes the Government’s decision to allow a small number of local authorities to pilot ‘revenue neutral’ incentives schemes to encourage household waste minimisation and recycling.

“Financial mechanisms have played a positive role in increasing waste prevention and recycling in other European countries and farther afield and we need to find out if they have the potential to deliver similar benefits here. There is a lot to learn about how they could be implemented fairly and effectively and these pilots will provide us with that information; until then we are just guessing,” says CIWM chief executive Steve Lee.

It is important to note that the current proposal is not a bin tax; in the framework announced by the Minister for Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Waste Joan Ruddock today (14.11.07), any revenue generated by a scheme “must be returned to residents, so residents as a whole will not be paying more”. 

There are a number of reasons why financial incentives are being considered:
• They are seen as a further option for local authorities in their efforts to encourage recycling and waste minimisation,  but represent an additional power not a duty and many councils may decide they don’t need these schemes;

•  They represent a very direct way of influencing behaviour and are potentially fairer; at the moment, people who make the effort to recycle as much as they can are, in effect, subsidising those who choose not to change their behaviour.

• They can help to make the real cost of waste management more visible – on average, UK householders pay just £2/week for waste management through the Council Tax system, a fraction of the total cost to councils.

“Financial incentives should not, however, be seen as a quick and easy solution,” says Steve Lee. “Whatever scheme is being considered, good recycling services and good communications are essential. Councils need to ensure that residents can recycle a number of materials easily, explain clearly the aim of the scheme and how it will work, and put in place the right support for potentially disadvantaged people in the community, such as elderly and disabled residents and large families.

Careful attention will also need to be paid to managing the negative behaviour that could result from the introduction of a financial incentive scheme, such as flytipping and illegal burning, as well as the potential increase in amount of waste being taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 7000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

Contacts:

Pat Jennings, Communications Manager
Steve Lee, Chief Executive
Tel: 01604 620426    Tel: 01604 620426   
Mob: 07881 878568