£110 fine if you fail to recycle your waste

Published: 19th November, 2010
by PETER GRUNER

PLANS by the Town Hall to introduce compulsory recycling, with fixed penalty fines of £110, sparked a huge row over “Big Brother” tactics this week.

Critics warned that council “snoopers” could be employed to check bags and boxes of domestic waste before they are removed. Fears have been voiced that the scheme risks penalising the elderly and vulnerable, who may find it difficult separating waste for recycling.

The opposition Lib Dems said the scheme “stinks of Big Brother” and accused the ruling Labour group of announcing “policy by press release” with little time for debate.

The scheme will be presented by Labour environment chief Councillor Paul Smith at the council’s executive committee meeting on Thursday.

Lib Dem group leader Councillor Terry Stacy said: “I can’t imagine anything more horrifying than finding Cllr Paul Smith at the bottom of your garden rifling through your recycling.”

The council argued that the cost of sending waste to landfill instead of improving recycling is set to spiral over the next decade because of increased taxes and charges.

According to one estimate, Islington will have to pay an extra £500,000 each year by 2020 if its recycling rate stays the same as now.

Increased recycling will mean council money can be spent on vital local services instead of being wasted on landfill.

Cllr Smith said: “We’re on the side of residents. As we face huge government funding cuts we need all our funding for our most vital services.

“We don’t have the luxury of throwing money away on expensive landfill charges when recycling saves money and is better for the planet. Every penny wasted is a penny that can’t be spent on something more important.

“Most residents are already very good at recycling, and we’d like to say thanks. We now want to make sure everyone is doing their bit to save waste and help their community.”

He emphasised that the approach to compulsory recycling would be “education, encouragement and enforcement as a very last resort”. But people who refuse to recycle would face a fixed penalty notice of £110. If agreed, the new scheme would be brought in early next year. It would apply to all services, including door-to-door collection and rear-entry communal recycling containers.