Bristol City has announced that it is trailing a scheme where households will pay by weight for the removal of household rubbish. The scheme will allocate a waste level to each household, waste or rubbish will be weighed, and if the household weighs in above its allocation, it will pay more for the removal of its waste. On the face of it, it looks like a great idea. But is it?
One aspect of government in the last 30 years has been that policy changes too often have been made without a thorough examination of the consequences, intended and unintended.
In this instance the intention is a good one, reduce waste from households by weighing it and that will mean fewer polutants in the air from its disposal and less waste in landfill, and hopefully, councils are able to raise and save a few pounds along the way.
But what might be other consequences? The first is that the intiative needs to also address where the waste orginates. In many instances households don't have much choice about the way the goods they purchase are presented and packaged. Why not also place some demands on retailers and manufacturers at the same time or even ask them to be responsoble for certain types of consumer waste? A second consequence is that without publishing reasonable thresholds it smells like another green tax. Local councils are poor communicators and often this spoils a good idea. They are also too well known for raising charges, not rewarding good behaviour and managing ratepayers money poorly. A third consequence might be that if thresholds are not well set, it looks like another tax on the poor and/ or large families. If we follow form, then we'll see a series of exceptions for household circumstances and that means, it looks more like a middle class tax. Sounds circular doesn't it? A final consequence, related to the third, is that it might also encourage fly tipping and if so, that will produce a false economy.
On the analysis of this author, this initiative is looking flawed and feels like more of an idea from a Counciil financial controller, than from a department concerned with sustainability. Far better not to weigh at this stage, but break down the existing charge so that rate payers know exactly what waste they are paying for to be removed and why. Then, ask them and act knowing the consequences.
