With general elections coming up next year in the United Kingdom, both the Conservative and Labour parties have been stepping up talks about issues that are most important to the voters. One of the most important issues of late has been the environment. Not only are people concerned about the world we will leave behind for future generations, but as evidence mounts that climate change is happening faster than expected many are worried about the present as well. Both sides are arguing about the best ways to achieve the goals of reducing waste and increasing recycling rates around the United Kingdom. The Conservatives have just released plans that they feel will show the public that they are the party most concerned with green issues.
Going directly against the Labour party’s dustbin taxes, the Conservatives have announced a plan that will reward people for recycling instead of punishing them for inaction. The Conservatives believe that people are more motivated by reward than punishment, and pilot programs have shown their voucher plan to increase recycling rates dramatically. In addition to voucher programs that would reward those households who recycle the most, the Conservatives have also pledged to set up a green investment bank and to reduce government carbon emissions by ten percent in the first year if they are elected.
The Conservatives also claim that they will make public consumption and waste more accessible so citizens know exactly which government departments are the most wasteful. They think that making this information available to the public online will increase efforts of government departments to be less wasteful.
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