Local government secretary Eric Pickles is rumoured to be considering offering councils cash if they axe fortnightly bin collections. Just days after whispers were circulating in the UK press about disagreements between Pickles and environment secretary Caroline Spelman regarding the frequency refuse rounds, the Daily Telegraph claims Pickles is to offer councils bribes.
The government secretary has made no secret of his opposition to fortnightly bin collections, saying the method is unhygienic and will attract flies. He even recently castigated the Audit Commission which suggested it is cheaper for councils to scrap weekly rounds.
The suggestion that rewards could be claimed for more regular collections comes just a week before a DERFA review of waste policy is revealed. Led by Mrs Spelman, the report is expected to propose tougher penalties in order to boost recycling rates across the UK.
Tougher EU landfill taxes are also expected to put extra pressure on already cash-strapped councils over the coming years. Buckinghamshire County Council, for example, has estimated that the taxes could cost them an extra £1m a year. Yesterday, they revealed that they are planning a waste-to-energy facility to help deal with the problem.
Around half of all UK councils now collect rubbish every two weeks, as they say an increase in recycling has reduced the amount of ‘wet waste’. As fortnightly collections have proven cheaper, however, there are calls within Parliament to charge residents extra if they insist on weekly rounds.
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