Recycling Right Could Save Taxpayers Millions, Says Which?

Council tax bills could be cut by millions of pounds if councils and households improved the way they recycle, according to which.co.uk

Figures (http://www.which.co.uk/advice/what_happens_to_your_rubbish/ ) obtained by the consumer champion show that nearly 230,000 tonnes* of recycling and composting material collected in England last year was rejected and sent to landfill, costing taxpayers £12 million. About 5% of recyclable (http://www.which.co.uk/advice/what_happens_to_your_rubbi ... ) items collected on the doorstep are rejected**, but which.co.uk found that some councils rejected more than 10% of municipal waste***. Councils that use co-mingled collection systems, where materials are collected mixed together, generally have higher rejection rates than those that operate a kerbside sorting system****. Recycling is rejected when it is ‘contaminated’, for example if people put the wrong materials in the wrong bin. which.co.uk says that improved collection systems, clearer information about how to recycle, and more careful recycling by consumers could reduce the amount that ends up in landfill. It costs councils more to send rubbish to landfill than it does to recycle it***** (http://www.which.co.uk/advice/what_happens_to_your_rubbi ... ) , so the more people recycle successfully, the lower council tax bills should be. Sending rubbish to landfill will cost £620 million this year in England alone. Jess Ross, editor of which.co.uk, says: “Recycling our household waste has never been easier, but more could be done by councils and by consumers to ensure that we recycle more waste, more effectively. Not only will it reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, but it could even save us money on our council tax bills – which is a great incentive to recycle better.” - Ends – Notes to editors Which? is the leading independent consumer champion in the UK. We provide impartial, expert information on products and services in our magazines, books and online to help consumers make more informed choices, and we campaign on issues that matter to all consumers, from food to finances, health to estate agents. For more information on how we can help you, visit www.which.co.uk The full article “The truth about recycling” appears in the May 2009 issue of Which? magazine and there’s a guide to recycling at www.which.co.uk/recycling. For further information, the full article, a copy of the magazine or an interview, please contact Nicola Frame. Research notes * 229,389 tonnes of municipal recycling and composting were rejected in 2007-2008. Source: Defra waste statistics, 2007 - 2008. ** Source: estimate by WRAP. *** Source: Defra waste statistics, 2007 - 2008. The worst five councils in 2007 - 2008 were: Local authority Municipal recycling and composting rejects 2007 – 2008 Municipal recycling and composting reject rate 2007 - 2008 Cost to send rejected items to landfill Hertsmere Borough Council 3,361 tonnes 22% £178,116 Manchester City Council 8,133 tonnes 16% £431,036 Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council 1,877 tonnes 12% £99,486 Watford Borough Council 1,466 tonnes 12% £77,684 Tynedale District Council 869 tonnes 11% £46,031 **** Average contamination rates are 5 – 10% for co-mingled (mixed) systems and less than 0.5% for kerbside sort systems. Source: WRAP study, June 2008. ***** Councils get paid for recyclable materials, but have to pay an average of £53 per tonne to dump rubbish in landfill. The tax that councils have to pay to send rubbish to landfill went up from £32 per tonne to £40 per tonne in April 2009.