The tax councils pay to dump rubbish in landfill sites is rising sharply. The cost went up on 1 April 2008 by £8 a ton, to £32, and will rise to almost £50 a ton over the next three years.
Although the amount dumped in landfill has been decreasing, Britain is facing fines from the European Union if it does not make further reductions. However, a Local Government Association (LGA) spokesman said higher landfill taxes could mean councils may not be able to afford new recycling schemes, meaning fortnightly rubbish collections could increase.
Edward Welsh from the LGA commented, "Unless the Government fulfils its pledge to return the money raised through landfill tax to councils, an average of £15 could be put onto taxpayers' bills next year alone. Homeowners are doing their bit to recycle, but the Government must give councils the money to build the recycling facilities that the country needs."
In other landfill news, the Government has this month announced plans for four private finance initiative (PFI) projects, designed to divert one million tonnes of waste from landfill. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has awarded a combined £310 million in PFI credits to waste management and reduction projects proposed by local councils in Suffolk, Leeds, Bradford and jointly in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. Each project will aim to increase local recycling rates to between 50 and 60% by 2020.
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