British waste policy could see wheelie bins reduced

Reducing the amount of rubbish thrown away from homes needs to be made “as easy as possible”, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said yesterday as she launched a Government review of waste policy.

Among the areas the review will look at is ways to cut the number of wheelie bins and containers people have to deal with to sort their waste and recycling. In some areas, householders can be left struggling with several wheelie bins or boxes for rubbish, recycling, food waste and garden waste.

And in a move which could see a reversal in the trend, the review will also look at how the government can work with councils to increase the frequency and quality of collections.

As well as looking at how household and business rubbish is collected, sorted and recycled, the examination of waste policies will also consider ways to encourage businesses to reduce packaging of products such as toys.

It will examine how best to encourage householders, companies and communities to produce less waste and boost recycling – with a focus on encouraging people with incentives rather than penalties and “coercion”.

The review will also look at future infrastructure needs, including producing energy from waste and from a biological process known as anaerobic digestion.

Mrs Spelman said the review was an opportunity to look at how to increase recycling, reduce landfill – which costs councils in landfill tax – and unlock the economic value of items which people no longer want.

For example, throwing aluminium cans away costs money in landfill tax and loses more money because the used metal fetches hundreds of pounds a tonne, while manufacturing new cans from raw materials takes 20 times more energy than using recycled aluminium.

She said: “We are committed to working towards a zero waste economy because it makes environmental and economic sense.

“Reducing waste needs to be made as easy as possible for people, it should be driven by incentives not penalties and common sense rather than coercion.

“We want everyone to have their say on what waste policies should look like and how existing policies affect them.”

The review has been launched with a call for evidence, with businesses, households, com­munities and local authorities being asked to contribute their views over the next three months.