DEFRA plan to ban food from bins to boost recycling
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is looking to banning food waste from landfills. Anyone that would go against the ban would suffer fines, but councils are warning the organization to be careful about where they get the money to fund this. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn says that the ban will benefit both the environment and finances, saving money on the landfill tax that is charged to councils for every ton of waste. It will also allow councils to make money from selling recycling materials.
Benn continued that greenhouse gas emissions will be cut from landfills, as well as from manufacturing new products like bottles and cans. It will also lessen the problem of finding new locations for landfills as existing sites fill up. The UK has made good progress with recycling, Benn added, but they can do more. It will only take five years for bans to be introduced on most items, while it would take up to 10 years for food waste items.
Aside from being concerned about where the money will come from to pay for the ban, councils are also worried about how the ban will be met, such as how to separate food waste. Local Government Association environment board chairman Gary Porter says that the government needs to think about where the money will come from to pay for the ban and how it will be policed. He notes that councils don’t want to be put in a spot where they have to fine people for their leftovers being put in the wrong bin.
Recycle your old stuff!