£50 recycling incentives 'likely'

Minister Joan Ruddock said several similar schemes had worked elsewhere

Households could be rewarded or fined according to the amount of rubbish they recycle, under pilot schemes due to run in five parts of England next year.

Each council would be able to fix its own policy but environment minister Joan Ruddock said payments generally worked well in other parts of Europe.

The sums in question were likely to be in the range of £50, she suggested.

The Local Government Association said action was needed because Britain was now "the dustbin of Europe".

Under the trial, due to begin next April, households which recycled the most rubbish and left the least in their bin would receive a rebate.

Those in the worst-performing homes would be charged for the rubbish they left, and it would be the money from them which would cover the costs of rewards for active recyclers.

'Real benefits'

Local authorities are being invited to submit proposals for schemes, should they wish to be considered for the trial.

The government will not consider extending these so-called "pay-as-you-throw" measures across England until the evidence from the five pilots is assessed.

For decades people have been used to throwing their rubbish away without worrying about the consequences. Those days are now over Paul Bettison Local Government Association

Its guidelines made clear the councils chosen for the pilots must have measures in place to discourage and penalise fly-tipping.

Ms Ruddock referred to a scheme in Sweden, where recycling had increased by 49% and waste levels had fallen by 19% within a year of residents being charged according to the weight of their unrecyclable rubbish.

There were similar results with different schemes in Italy and the Netherlands, she added.

She said there was evidence from other EU countries that "charges and rebates of around £50 are enough to change behaviour and deliver real benefits for waste reduction".

"The shape of any pilot scheme will be for local authorities to determine. They know what is most likely to work for them in their own local circumstances," she added.

Assessments

Various options exist to ensure councils accurately assess the amount of rubbish which is discarded.

Bins could be weighed during collection rounds, with people charged or rewarded on a sliding scale according to the amount they had thrown away.

Alternatively householders might be offered smaller bins, with people who accepted these receiving rebates.

Or they might be required to place their rubbish in special sacks purchased from their council - those people who used more bags than the average would be fined, while those consuming fewer sacks would get money back.

Paul Bettison, who chairs the Local Government Association's environment board, said measures were needed because more rubbish was thrown into landfill in the UK than in any other country in Europe.

He said: "For decades people have been used to throwing their rubbish away without worrying about the consequences. Those days are now over.

"Councils want a power, not a duty, so authorities can decide what's best for their local areas.

"It's not about paying more, it's about paying in a different way. It's also fairer because if you throw out less, you pay less."