Recycling pay ‘not feasible’
TORY PLANS to pay householders up to £25 a month to recycle have met with scepticism in Tees Valley.
Outlining proposals to boost Britain’s placing in the European recycling table, shadow chancellor George Osborne said it should follow the American practice of paying households to recycle rather than pursue the government’s “old-fashioned” policy of fining throw-away families.
But Redcar and Cleveland Council’s cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Sylvia Szintai, said it would be difficult to administer: “ I don’t think it’s feasible.”
Soon to be published figures for the borough show householders are recycling 40% of their rubbish, far higher than the North-east average of 26%.
Tony Hitchins of regional collection and recycling firm Premier Waste, warned the scheme could be open to abuse by incentivising people to buy more packaging. “And will you get some people stealing recycling from their neighbours or from work?”
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