Will recycling fines turn neighbours into snitches?

Published: 12th December, 2010

• YET another unenforceable bye-law (£110 fine if you fail to recycle your waste, November 19). Does Islington Council ever think things through?

What about people who live in houses of multi-occupation. Are we all going to be issued with lockable dustbins?

Some people in my house recycle but others don’t and we share bins. Who pays the fine? Are we expected to snitch on each other, or is the council going to employ people to sift through disgusting plastic bags looking for evidence?
PA MANNING
Camden Road, N7

• RECYCLING reached a record high under the former Lib Dem administration.  But we feel Islington Labour’s Big Brother approach is a step too far.  

This policy came out of nowhere and hasn’t been thought through properly. Employing bin snoopers to rummage through people’s rubbish is never going to go down well, especially when we are laying off other council staff.

How much will compulsory recycling cost to implement and publicise? How will this work for residents living on estates and in flats? And are we really going to fine the elderly and disabled?

Residents have not been asked their views on such a major policy change. That’s why Islington Lib Dem councillors have asked for the policy to be delayed.  

The council’s overview committee on December 14 will be considering this request and I hope residents come along and give their views too.

Labour never told residents before the elections it was going to force everyone to recycle. Now everybody will have to whether they can or not – or face a fine.  

Residents have made their views clear on bin snooping in the past.  This just looks like another way of raking in cash off people when they are already struggling.  
Cllr Terry Stacy 
Lib Dem group leader

• ISLINGTON Green Party welcomes measures that improve recycling rates, especially if this means the council wastes less money sending rubbish to landfill, but we are concerned that fines could “turn people off” and feel we need to look at carrots more than sticks.

There are more jobs generated per tonne of recycled waste than per tonne of waste sent to either incineration or landfill. 

So improving recycling rates could help create more local jobs.

It will be interesting to see how the council plans to implement fines for residents who do not recycle. 

While fines may be a last resort, surely it makes sense to focus on measures to increase compliance by making it easy for residents to recycle rather than threatening us with fines?

The cost to the council would also be hugely reduced if retailers were more responsible about the overpackaging of goods. 

Perhaps the council could work with local retailers to encourage a reduction in packaging?
Caroline Russell
Islington Green Party