| Part 1 | | | | year. This is the mechanism the Government is using |
| Why is composting such a big deal all of a sudden? | | | | to encourage councils to find alternative or cheaper |
| Have you noticed that composting is in the news a | | | | ways of disposing of our waste. It also means that it |
| lot recently? The Government and councils are | | | | is becoming more economically viable for private |
| encouraging all of us to compost more of our garden | | | | enterprise to invest and provide alternative solutions. |
| waste and suitable kitchen scraps as well. Do you | | | | Our councils are targeted |
| remember when everyone started talking about | | | | Councils are targeted to reduce the amount of |
| insulating your home in the 1970's? Well, composting | | | | biodegradable municipal waste landfilled by 75% of |
| is the new insulation because it affects every | | | | 1995 levels by 2010 and 50% by 2013. If your council |
| household and the reason why you should care is | | | | landfills more waste than the agreed threshold, then |
| that if you do nothing, you could be landed with a big | | | | they will be fined £150 for each tonne they |
| fat bill. This is the first part of a two part article that | | | | exceed their target. If the UK fails to meet their |
| sets out to explain why waste disposal will become | | | | overall target, then the EU will fine us half a million |
| so expensive if we do not take action. | | | | pounds per day for a period that as yet does not |
| The fact is you are all going to pay much more to | | | | appear to be defined. These fines could be massive |
| dispose of your rubbish in the UK whether you want | | | | in that they could mean that offending councils could |
| to or not. You have no choice. The only choice you | | | | end up adding millions to your council tax bills as well |
| have is whether you take responsibility for how | | | | as cutting vital services. Who pays in the end? - You |
| much waste you dispose of or accept the | | | | do! |
| consequential crippling costs that will follow if you do | | | | Pay as you throw |
| not. It will not matter whether you are rich or poor, | | | | The Government has given the go-ahead for a few |
| we will all end up paying the price. | | | | councils to experiment with pay as you throw |
| One way to minimise the amount of waste we give | | | | charges. Legislation is in place to allow all councils to |
| our councils to dispose of is to compost our | | | | do this. Slowly but surely councils have been |
| biodegradable kitchen and garden waste. It is so | | | | encouraging us to separate our waste in to green or |
| easy, yet so effective. The second part will explain | | | | garden waste, newspapers, glass, tins and with some |
| what you can do to ensure you do not get burdened | | | | councils, kitchen waste. Once most of us have got |
| with excessive "pay as you throw" charges when | | | | used to these good habits, it becomes easy to pass |
| they are eventually introduced. | | | | laws that prohibits us disposing of green waste in our |
| Where are all these costs? | | | | black wheely bin or plastic bags. In Sweden, I |
| Take a look at your council tax bill. Roughly 5% goes | | | | understand that it is illegal to landfill biodegradable |
| towards collection and disposal of waste. The bad | | | | waste so don't think that it could not happen in the |
| news is that costs could escalate dramatically. We all | | | | UK. |
| know the price of fuel is taking off which means | | | | It also becomes easier for councils to weigh each |
| collection costs are increasing. More significantly, landfill | | | | category of our waste as this provides them with a |
| tax has increased from £24 per tonne to | | | | stick to fine us for excessive waste or maybe a |
| £32 per tonne this year and is planned to | | | | carrot in the form of a discount on the following |
| escalate further. This stealth tax has huge implications | | | | years council tax bill. It could be that in future, if you |
| for councils and the costs will inevitably be passed on | | | | want any green waste to be collected from your |
| to council tax payers. | | | | kerbside, then you will have to pay extra. After all, it |
| Landfill - The driver | | | | costs money for the council to collect and deliver to |
| Land in the UK is expensive and frankly there are | | | | a composting facility so why shouldn't they charge if |
| more productive things to do with it than fill it with | | | | you should be composting anyway? - Think about |
| rubbish. This is why the Government is discouraging | | | | that! |
| landfill by escalating landfill taxes significantly each | | | | What can you do about it? |