A promise by Conservatives to scrap fortnightly bin collections may be scuppered after a bitter turf war at Whitehall, according to a report by the Daily Mail. Communities secretary Eric Pickles revealed last night that he wants to encourage councils to move back to weekly rounds.   The new regimes have been branded “unhygienic” by Pickles, but environment secretary Caroline Spelman says she is under pressure to hit strict EU recycling targets. The Treasury ... Full Story

White van men in Oxfordshire are to have their trips to the tip limited in a bid to stop tradesmen using household recycling centres to illegally dump waste. The clearing of commercial rubbish dumped at the county’s recycling centres costs the taxpayers around £250,000 a year, according to local newspaper the Witney Gazette.   In an attempt to save money and tackle the growing problem, Oxfordshire County Council has announced that it will introduce to ... Full Story

In an effort to smarten up their tired-looking streets, Cardiff Council has announced a new waste strategy, including the introduction of 100 new recycling bins into the city centre. The bins will be dotted around the city by next year and will have similar compartments for different waste as those already used by residents.   There will also be extra measures to prevent fly-tipping as well as a new intensive cleaning programme for the capital’s ... Full Story

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has released a study that finds private rented sector homes are the least efficient users of energy. The worst offenders in the study emit more than five times as much carbon as the average UK home. There was one bright note, however: the number of least energy-efficient homes is on the way down. In the study, the EST surveyed those homes in England rated an F or G on energy performance certificates (EPC). From 2006 to 2008, the percentage of homes rated F or G fell from 22 per cent to 17 per cent. The EST ... Full Story

A new report claims that recycling household waste is an integral part of being a good citizen. The Local Government Association (LGA) earlier this week said that landfill space in Britain would run out, and warned that it could happen in eight years time if recycling rates are not improved upon quickly. Furthermore, the report warned that council tax rates could rise even further so new schemes could be funded and existing recycling infrastructure could be improved. Waste Watch has urged tax payers that the increase should be weathered as part of being a good citizen. The pro-recycling group said that Britons ... Full Story

London mayor Boris Johnson said today that a city-wide recycling network will be launched to help residents recycle in the household more and throw items away less. Joined by actress Joanna Lumley, Mr Johnson announced that the initiative will receive funding worth £8 million from the London Waste and Recycling Board. Each year, the London Assembly said around 65,000 tonnes of household products are sent to landfill by the city's residents. The habit is said to be increasing the carbon footprint of the capital at a time when councils are under pressure to reduce emissions, waste and energy use. The London Community ... Full Story

Less waste is going to landfill and recycling rates have improved in Malvern Hills after a new single-bag system was introduced earlier this year. Initial results released by Malvern Hills District Council show that their system of replacing the previous two-bag recycling scheme with a single bag has been a success.   Officials say the new system allows for a greater range of waste to be recycled, and figures show that rates have jumped from ... Full Story

UK residents could face council tax hikes of up to £50 a year unless more is done to boost recycling. The Local Government Association has warned that the UK is the worst in the European Union when it comes to the amount of rubbish is thrown into landfill, and that it will fail to meet key targets if things continue as they are.   Multi-billion pound fines for sending more items to the tip will ... Full Story

Southend Council has promised families a better waste and recycling service after signing up to a tough ten-point pledge. Together with the national Waste Collection Commitment, the council has vowed to provide a collection service that meets all residents’ needs, while being value-for-money.   After researching what people think about their exisiting rubbish services, the Local Government Association and the Waste and Resource Action Programme developed the new scheme together. Households across the borough were ... Full Story

Residents in South Oxfordshire are being praised for their stunning efforts of recycling and composting 70 per cent of household rubbish – thought to be the best figures in England. The first full year of the area’s new rubbish collection and recycling service is estimated to have saved taxpayers around £355,000 as well as racked up £850,000 in recycling credits. The scheme was highly commended at the recent local authority's Municipal Journal Awards, where it was revealed that from June 2009 to June 2010, South Oxfordshire’s contractor Verdant collected 6,115 tonnes of food waste, 18,531 tonnes of dry recycling and 7,434 ... Full Story

It came out recently that householders in the UK are slapped with heavier fines that shoplifters. The controversial 'bin criminal' fees, which can cost homeowners up to £110, are steeper than the standard fine,  £80, that police hand out to those nabbed shoplifting. Just last year, local authorities issued up to 1,240 penalty notices for households caught over-filling bins or placing rubbish bins out during the wrong times. An additional 24,914 statutory notices were issued threatening homeowners with fines if they continued to violate the strict bin rules. Furthermore, 45,010 warning letters were sent out to individuals that had 'allegedly' violated the ... Full Story

After Bulgaria opened its first facility for electric appliances and equipment recycling on 28 June, it has become the largest and most high-tech plant of its kind for Eastern Europe. Located near Sofia in the town of Novi Iskar, the new WEEE processing plant will help create 150 new jobs. Utilising German technology, the plant will be able to complete the recycling process for all electronic equipment in one building. As the largest of its type in Europe, factory owners, Nadin Jsc, based in Bulgaria, have invested BGL 40 million in the building of the site. Outfitted with two conveyor lines, one ... Full Story