Landfill use goes down - or council tax goes up

Date published: 14/04/2008

More waste is being dumped per person in Greater Manchester landfill sites than was the case 10 years ago, despite continual efforts to encourage recycling.

New government figures show that each person in the region sent 57kg (9st) more in 2006-07 than they did in 1998-99.

The figures, released as a parliamentary written answer, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show the average person in the Greater Manchester area sent 596kg of waste to landfill last year, compared with 531kg in 1998-99.

But Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) claim their figures show landfill waste per person has decreased from 389kg per person in 2005-06 to 377kg pp in 2006-07.

Jane Hawkes, GMWDA director of strategy and communications, said: “This is supported by our audited Best Value Performance Indicators which show household waste recycling has increased to 26.85 per cent in 2006-07 compared with only 7.41 per cent in 2003-04.

“Household waste landfilled has reduced from 81.63 per cent in 2003-04 to 62.63 per cent in 2006-07.”

It is feared a tough regime of government fines for landfill use will lead to council tax increases unless local authorities make dramatic changes.

The tax on waste dumped in landfill sites is increasing by 33 per cent a year for four years, and councils face having to pay up to £150 a tonne over a set quota by 2010.

Julia Goldsworthy, the Lib Dem local government spokesman who requested the landfill figures, said: “It is not just about being seen to be making the effort to recycle more of the waste.

“There are big questions about how we tackle waste in the first place.

“As a result of the landfill tax, the more rubbish people throw out, the more people’s council tax is going to go up.

“The Government should set down tough guidelines for manufacturers in a bid to drive down the amount of wasteful packaging.

“At the moment the incentives just aren’t there for the commercial sector.”

A Defra spokesman said: “Many householders and local authorities have got the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ message and are doing a great job.

“The latest statistics show that that in England, councils have increased national recycling and composting rates to 31 per cent and disposed of a million tonnes less waste in landfill in 2006-07, compared with 2005-06.

“If we are to combat the negative impacts of climate change, under-performing local authorities everywhere must do more to help people recycle.”