GOVE: I’VE GOT RUBBISH PLAN
He wants to force councils to do weekly bin collections, abandoned after Tory cuts
WEEKLY bin collections, ditched due to Tory cuts, will be brought back under new plans.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove will tomorrow say the weekly pick-up will apply to food waste so it does not rot, smell and leave dustbins full of maggots.
The collections will be in addition to existing pick-ups. Every home in England with a garden will also be able to get their compost collected for free.
This will save an average £120 a year in hiring private services or paying the two in three councils which charge for them. Mr Gove will pledge extra money to local authorities so they do not have to increase council tax as a result.
This will be paid for by a levy of up to £1billion on businesses that produce packaging which is harder to reuse or recycle.
And moves by some local authorities to go to three- week or even monthly collections will be banned. Mr Gove said: “For too long, food waste has been left lingering in bins for weeks. We’ll invest to smooth out differences between individual councils, and support comprehensive and frequent rubbish and recycling collections.”
But one Tory councillor said: “This is easier said than done. Kerbside collections are not possible for high-rises and in some rural areas.”
Mr Gove will also consult on plans for a deposit-return scheme on jars and bottles, and a plastic tax on any packaging not made from 30 per cent recycled material.
And he wants a standard nationwide system for what can and cannot be recycled. During the consultation taxpayers will be able to lobby for what colour each bin will be to make it uniform across the country.
Mr Gove added: “We are committed to going further and faster to reduce, reuse, recycle and cut waste.
“We will be the first generation to leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it.”