"Waste charges will increase fly-tipping"

News

"Waste charges will increase fly-tipping"

Friday, 19 November 2010

By Sam Masters

RECYCLING will be made compulsory and charges brought in for garden waste and collecting bulky household items under new council proposals.

Labour-run Lambeth’s cabinet is due to approve the strategy on Tuesday.

Opposition councillors and estate residents fear the move could lead to more fly-tipping.
The town hall changes to rubbish collections are designed to “reduce the amount we all throw away”.

The council spends £31million a year collecting and disposing of rubbish.
It said introducing compulsory recycling was supported by 70 per cent of residents.

But a senior council source told the South London Press the compulsory recycling was “next to impossible” to enforce.

Councillor Lorna Campbell, cabinet member for environment, said: “Reducing waste and increasing recycling helps the environment. It’s also about keeping costs down, too, as we will all be hit in the pocket if we don’t act.

“It’s everybody’s responsibility to think more carefully about what we buy, what we throw away and whether we can reuse it.”

Residents wanting to throw away garden waste will be banned from putting it in normal bins. Instead they will be charged to have the rubbish collected.
Fridges or bulky household items will be collected at a cost of around £15, if the plans are approved.

Steve Rice, Lambeth’s leaseholder council chairman and a resident of Ethelred Estate, Kennington, said: “Charging to take away rubbish will result in an increase in fly-tipping.”

Councillor Ashley Lumsden, Lambeth’s Lib Dem opposition group leader, said: “Charging for rubbish collections in inner London is a mistake. It will lead to more dumped rubbish on streets.

“Their proposals look like yet another stealth tax on law-abiding householders.”

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/news.cfm?id=41121