The government's new plans to charge us for how much waste we create?

Question

I'm all for this, as I hardly throw out any rubbish (One bag a week) But what are the odds that our council tax will be reduced if they do introduce it?
What about families that have no choice but to throw out more waste? (Such as nappies and more food packaging) Is it really fair on them?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7067971.stm

Answer 1

it's all just stealth tax, so much stealth tax. Most people pay uge amounts of council tax and the tax is partly for refuse collection but you can bet your life there will be no reduction, just more and more tax to pay for very little...................

Answer 2

The best solution, to me, is to crack down on the frivilous lawsuits, and the medical and pharmaceutical lobbyists, and the insurance company games. There also needs to be some control on the write-offs. Person A goes to the Dr. and is charged 80 dollars. It is submitted to the insurance co, and the insurance co says "we'll give you $50". The Drs. accept that amount. Now, the person who is uninsured has to pay the full $80. But it gets worse. Since the Drs' know they will only get a portion of what they charge, they up the charge to $100, hoping to get $75 from the insurance co. So, the insurance co complies with the higher rate and pays $75 (and ups the subscribers costs the next year to compensate). But now, the uninsured is paying $100 for the visit. Its a little game between the physicians and the insurance companies. The physicians need to make a certain amount to cover their very expensive malpractice insurances (thanks to all of the lawsuits - some legit, some not), and the insurance companies try to be the medical experts and control what the doctors should recieve in payments. What happens is that the insured keep paying more, and the uninsured get completely robbed. It hurts all patients. I think that the plans the candidates have laid out are worthless. They may sound pretty, but they would not solve or address the situation. I think there are other ways to make medical care and insurance affordable again, without putting it in the hands of the government to control and manage.

Answer 3

This is typical of the New Labour party. They have always used a stick instead of a carrot when dealing with the public, a case of do as I say not as I do, and the Brussels dictatorship has helped this situation by unilaterally declaring that countries ( which are sovereign) will have to pay a fine for over stepping the arbitrary limit set on land fill.

This is just a stealth tax to fill the rapidly emptying coffers of the EU and nothing to do with being green.

Personally I only throw metals and papers for collection the rest is burnt on a bonfire and occasionally when passing I take bottles to the recycling. So I should be paid for my efforts as I only recycle.

Go to this petition on the No10 web site and sigh up, may be like the road pricing we can get several hundred thousand in the next year. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Landfill-fines/

Answer 4

I'm sorry, but we concentrate on the wrong issues.

When everyone used a milkman, the empties went back. When we bought pop, the empty glass bottle was returned for the 5p deposit. The majority of groceries where in paper or cardboard and the packaging was thrown on the fire. If you didn't eat everything, it was kept and served at the next meal. Very little waste was generated.

Unless you go back to that way of life, the throw-away society will just continue.

I can see fly tipping taking off !!

Answer 5

You don't have to use disposable nappies, there are alternatives and they're a lot greener. I like the general message of this proposal in getting more people greener but I don't think it a viable proposal.

The problem I see with this is;
1. There will be a large increase in dumping.
2. People will use other people's bins.

This creates a nightmare scenario. I think it should work on a reward scheme for using the recycling bins. For example if you don't use it you get billed an extra rate and this comes down the more recyclables that are collected. This is flawed once again but helps against dumping.

Answer 6

This cannot be implemented fairly. Why should householders have to pay for disposing of the large amounts of Junk Mail ?
Catalogues,magazines,newspapers that are free,Charity requests and books of Lucky draw tickets, Insurance Mail attempting to sign the householder up for Car,House,or Content Insurance. The posties will tell you how much Junk mail they have to deliver. All Unsolicited Mail. To stop it there is a provision that does not work . Why should the Householder not be consulted if Unsolicited Mail is acceptable. I think this another way of devising methods of screwing money out of the population . Stealth Tax .

Answer 7

You don't think the Council Tax will be reduced do you simply because they will charge you for your rubbish?. Our Council now charges so much for removing bulky items that the lanes surrounding the village I live in have already become a dumping ground for fridges, freezers, washing machines etc. and it costs more to remove them than if they collected them free in the first place.

Answer 8

I think the plans are hard on young families and don't see council tax coming down as a result of "pay as you throw".

I'd like to recycle more but our council only do paper and types 1 and 2 plastic.

I compost and feed food scraps to my hens.

The nearest bottle bank is 7 miles away so not very green driving there specially although I take my waste glass when I am going past anyway.

My waste is mostly unrecyclable plastic and I wish supermarkets sold fruit and veg in paper bags not plastic!

Answer 9

OK don't go overboard. What this is all about is sorting, All councils well be charged heavily for all rubbish sent for landfill/ So to reduce the amount it is necessary to recycle as much as possible. Well councils set up recycling arrangements for various things like paper and cardboard, tins, glass, plastics green stuff and so on...Now it all falls down if the people do not separate their rubbish into the appropriate bins or bags.. So to try to make them do this the charges are being suggested,,,, All it needs to stop this is for people to recycle.... Now why wouldn't they.. Are they too lazy, can't be bothered, if so let them pay As long as the good citizens who do their part are not penalised.. You will probably find the ones who shout the loudest about this are the ones who don't recycle..

Answer 10

Council tax will not be reduced it is just another way of taxing us. look out for more fly tipping or garden fires. it is mainly wet things that produce smoke