What a load of rubbish

The Communities and local government select committee, chaired by Labour MP Dr Phyllis Starkey, has rubbished (excuse the pun) the government's strategy for reducing waste in landfill sites.  You may remember the plans for fortnightly bin collections and fines for not re-cycling were the solution to the growing landfill problem.  Well, Mr Starkey and his committee have damned the policy as "-half-hearted and likely to fail-".  The report says plans to charge householders who fail to recycle £30 a year are too timid and too complicated and a reward of up to £30 for "good" households is too low to encourage mass recycling.  Convenient, wouldn't you say that it is also enough for people to just about tolerate - i.e. enough for the government to get away with and make a bit of money off the back of a serious and emotive issue, yet make no difference whatsoever in solving the actual problem.

The report also stated that there is no proven direct link between higher levels of recycling and fortnightly collections.  It also showed concern that there has not been enough research done in to the health implications of waste being left lying about for an extra week and the increase in vermin.  The report, unsurprisingly therefore, criticised some local authorities for "-blundering-" into fortnightly collections without proper consideration or consultation.  It is pretty typical of government to "blunder" in to these types of decisions without consultation as they are trying to our green each other and raise a little extra cash for the coffers.  

And now for the spokesman (Defra's this time) "-We are disappointed that on financial incentives the committee has not recognised the need to try out innovative ways of encouraging sustainable waste behaviour-."  Innovative ways = untested ways.  Encouraging = unfairly forcing.  If financial incentives do work, then let's look at them; but going ahead with a policy that is based on no solid thinking or research may raise money and make it look as though you’re doing something but it is not an effective way to govern a country or solve a problem.