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'Community rewards' could increase recycling rates
Suspicions that household collections are not being recycled properly has led local government chiefs to urge recycling companies to be clearer about what happens to collections.
There are fears that people will be reluctant to "do their bit" for the environment if they think collected cans, plastics, glass and paper are being sent abroad and not dealt with properly.
Suspicions over what happens to recyclable materials could further undermine recycling schemes run by councils, which have come under fire for fortnightly rubbish collections and fines for people
who fail to recycle properly.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said while there was no evidence companies were not dealing with the materials responsibly, around one in 10 councils were reporting difficulties in getting
information from firms about where it ends up.
Some of the companies are refusing to release the information, citing commercial confidentiality, LGA environment board chairman Paul Bettison said.
He has written to the Environment Agency, which polices the trade in recyclable materials, to call for a clear, transparent system so that householders can be sure the companies receiving waste are
doing the right thing with it.
And he is urging councils to review destinations of recyclable materials so they can reassure householders their efforts are making a difference.
In order to boost recycling rates in Britain, which currently sends more household rubbish to landfill than anywhere else in Europe, councils must win "hearts and minds" on recycling, he
said.
"It is vital people have confidence in recycling so we can encourage them to go that extra mile and do more," he said.
"If a contractor refuses to reveal where materials are being sold it can lead to suspicion and undermine the whole process.
"Council leaders also need to build trust in the system and ensure they have as much information as possible about where materials are sent to.
"Myths about recycling can act as a barrier to people doing their bit and so it is vital we continue to to win the public's hearts and minds."
COMMENTS
it-green recycling http://www.it-green.co.uk
Commented 10 weeks ago
It's abou time that local councils did some due dilligence and ensured accountability by the recycling companies that the works have been contracted out to. We're loosing out and old computers are still going to the wrong places, simply because recycling has been given a bad name
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