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Warning over rising landfill tax | Warning over rising landfill tax |
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Councils in Wales have warned they are going to be £10m out of pocket this year because of a steep rise in the tax on waste going to landfill sites. | Councils in Wales have warned they are going to be £10m out of pocket this year because of a steep rise in the tax on waste going to landfill sites. |
They say there is no additional funding for the increase, which will see them paying £32 to the Treasury for every ton of waste they dump in landfill. | They say there is no additional funding for the increase, which will see them paying £32 to the Treasury for every ton of waste they dump in landfill. |
It is up £8 a ton from last year but is designed to encourage more recycling. | It is up £8 a ton from last year but is designed to encourage more recycling. |
Meanwhile, the assembly government has urged more food recycling as part of a £50m package of grants. | |
Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson revealed details of the grants to local councils to improve recycling. | |
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said the landfill tax increase - which will apply in England and Wales - will add more financial pressures to councils already facing targets for recycling, composting and the management of food waste services. | The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said the landfill tax increase - which will apply in England and Wales - will add more financial pressures to councils already facing targets for recycling, composting and the management of food waste services. |
"The landfill tax increase over the next three years is an additional burden and will amount to approximately £10.2m for Welsh local authorities in 2008-2009 and similar amounts for the next three years," said a WLGA spokesperson. | "The landfill tax increase over the next three years is an additional burden and will amount to approximately £10.2m for Welsh local authorities in 2008-2009 and similar amounts for the next three years," said a WLGA spokesperson. |
"No additional funding will be available to councils to cover this increase, therefore meaning that £10.2m will have to be taken off core waste budgets." | "No additional funding will be available to councils to cover this increase, therefore meaning that £10.2m will have to be taken off core waste budgets." |
WASTE MANAGEMENT GRANTS Anglesey£1.3mBlaenau Gwent £1mBridgend £2.1mCaerphilly £2.6mCardiff £5mCarmarthenshire £3mCeredigion £1.6mConwy £2mDenbighshire £1.74mFlintshire £2.38mGwynedd £2.84mMerthyr Tydfil £845,836Monmouthshire £1.44mNeath Port Talbot £2.1mNewport £2.14mPembrokeshire £2.2mPowys £2.9mRhondda Cynon Taff £3.56mSwansea £3mTorfaen £1.37mVale of Glamorgan £1.94mWrexham £2mSource: Welsh Assembly Government | |
The spokesperson said it was now "economically and environmentally essential" that the public make use of recycling services available to them, so less waste is sent to landfill." | The spokesperson said it was now "economically and environmentally essential" that the public make use of recycling services available to them, so less waste is sent to landfill." |
The landfill tax is designed to encourage councils to recycle more waste and make less use of landfill. | The landfill tax is designed to encourage councils to recycle more waste and make less use of landfill. |
The much bigger increase this year is aimed at making them feel the financial pain of dumping rather than recycling. | The much bigger increase this year is aimed at making them feel the financial pain of dumping rather than recycling. |
In a separate announcement, the Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson announced how £50m of grants will be allocated across Wales to be used for improving recycling facilities. | |
?Increasing the amount they recycle will help local authorities meet their targets and reduce costs from increases in landfill tax," said Ms Davidson. | |
"Food waste is an area of great potential and exploiting this will be essential if we are to continue increasing the amount of waste we recycle and divert from landfill. | |
"It is of particular importance in the fight against climate change because when deposited in landfill food waste generates methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times as potent as carbon dioxide." | |
She said that food waste could also be used to create energy and recycling in the form of nutrients for soil. | |
Councils will be urged to use the money - £15m more than last year - to develop food recycling strategies. | Councils will be urged to use the money - £15m more than last year - to develop food recycling strategies. |
A number of local authorities have already started food waste collections and others are developing facilities. | |
Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Merthyr, Carmarthenshire, RCT, Bridgend and Swansea have already started to introduce food waste collections. Cardiff, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy, Wrexham, and Blaenau Gwent are planning to start collections this year or early next year. | |
Although councils are generally on track to meet the target of recycling 40% waste by 2010, she wants to go considerably further, with up to 70% recycling by the year 2025. | Although councils are generally on track to meet the target of recycling 40% waste by 2010, she wants to go considerably further, with up to 70% recycling by the year 2025. |