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'PAY AS YOU THROW' RUBBISH SCHEMES SIGN OF FAILURE |
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28th May 2006
 RUBBISH TAX UNNECESSARY AND BUREAUCRATIC
Environment Secretary David Miliband will today outline the UK's waste strategy until 2020. It will be first major environmental strategy from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during Mr Miliband's tenure. He looks set to endorse 'pay as you throw' rubbish schemes and an expansion of incinerators.
The Green party's Parliamentary spokesperson for Stroud, Cllr Martin Whiteside commented: "The government have allowed us to become the dirty man of Europe, and have continually dragged their feet on implementing EU meausures outlining waste targets. As a result, we throw more rubbish into landfill than any other country in the EU. Pay as you throw schemes are unnecessary and bureaucratic. We are seeing panic measures from Mr. Miliband, because it's clear we are failing to meet EU targets on waste."
Martin Whiteside said: "Tackling the growing waste crisis requires more than punishing measures targetted at individuals. I welcome that Stroud District have at the moment ruled out such a move."
Martin Whiteside said: "Nationally, the goverment should adopt a tax on packaging, as has happened successfully in countries like Germany. This would massively reduce the amount of waste created in the first place, and be the first step towards adopting a zero waste strategy - as has happened in parts of Australia and Canada. Locally, councils must make it as simple as possible for people to recycle their waste - with regular kerbside collections and easy access to recycling stations. All the evidence shows that if you adopt this approach there is no need for rubbish taxing."
Martin Whiteside added: "Increasing levels of incineration - one of the most polluting and wasteful forms of waste disposal - is madness. Anyone that gives a jot about the environment can see that burning our waste is not the answer to our problems. The reality is that we are running out of land fill and need to cut rubbish production. We must reduce, re-use and recycle. A throwaway society means we are throwing away our childrens future - an attitude of put it in the bin and forget about it is unsustainable."
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