Ericathephantom’s Weblog

Gordon Brown has announced that there will be no near-future plans for ‘pay-as-you-throw’ bin tax. Is this a relief or a burden?

The controversial scheme that proposed the public should pay for the amount of non-recycled waste they throw away won’t happen for many years.

The idea involves computer chip devices installed into wheelie bins that calculate the weight of the rubbish inside. This is recorded and depending on the amount of rubbish, people are taxed accordingly.

This is to help reduce the amount of waste being dumped into landfills in order to meet EU landfill targets by 2020. Like those already, a handful of pilot schemes will be set up across the UK set up by local authorities.

Gordon Brown said: “This is not a national scheme. This is one or two local authorities who want to do something. They come forward, we have to approve it, and it’s got to be in the interest of the people in the country.
“After the trial we’ll see what happens but we’ve got no commitment to go any further – not at all. And it couldn’t happen for years.” (Source-BBC).

Hoever, the communities and local government secretary, Hazel Blears urged the government wanted to encourage recycling. A proper system of “incentives and rewards” is needed to encourage people to take their environmental responsibilities seriously.(Source- Guardian)

Personally, I can’t begin to realise how this thing would actually work without introducing new laws to keep this once in place. For instance, what’s to stop people from dumping their rubbish in your bin? Don’t we have enough taxes to worry already in the UK? Also, the privacy matters involved. Having computer chips in our bins just seems a little too George Orwell theory for my liking. Its well…scary.

However, something must be done to meet these landfill targets and generally I think people are too lazy to bother or even give a damn unless they are forced to- the best way is always through money costs! Nothing will be achieved if we rely on the goodness of people’s hearts…