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Pay homes to recycle, say Tories Pay homes to recycle, say Tories
(about 1 hour later)
People who recycle household waste would get up to £130 a year in shopping vouchers under the Tories, George Osborne has said. People who recycle household waste would get up to £130 a year in shopping vouchers under the Tories, shadow chancellor George Osborne has said.
They have been piloting the US-style scheme in Berkshire and say they would roll it out to councils across Britain. He said a Conservative government would reward people who recycled, not "punish them" with "bin taxes".
In a speech the shadow chancellor said a Conservative government would reward people who recycled, not "punish them" with "bin taxes". Other green pledges outlined include a 10% cut in Whitehall carbon emissions in the Tories' first year in power.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described Mr Osborne's comments as "greenwash". Minister Ed Miliband said Labour was cutting Whitehall emissions and the Tories had "no plan" to make it happen.
The UK must reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by nearly two-thirds by 2020 to meet EU targets.The UK must reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by nearly two-thirds by 2020 to meet EU targets.
Recycling pointsRecycling points
Since March Conservative-controlled Windsor and Maidenhead Council has been working with a US company which specialises in "pay to recycle" schemes in America - funded by savings in landfill tax.Since March Conservative-controlled Windsor and Maidenhead Council has been working with a US company which specialises in "pay to recycle" schemes in America - funded by savings in landfill tax.
The Tories say it has encouraged households to boost their recycling by 30% and the average household is on course to receive £130 a year in vouchers. The Tories say it has encouraged households to boost their recycling by 30% and the average home is on course to receive £130 a year in vouchers.
At the moment it's all about pain not gain George Osborne Send us your commentsAt the moment it's all about pain not gain George Osborne Send us your comments
Points earned through recycling are redeemed online and spent in local shops, including Marks and Spencer.Points earned through recycling are redeemed online and spent in local shops, including Marks and Spencer.
Rolling out the scheme was one of several environmental pledges outlined by Mr Osborne in a speech at Imperial College London.Rolling out the scheme was one of several environmental pledges outlined by Mr Osborne in a speech at Imperial College London.
"At the moment it's all about pain not gain. If you don't recycle enough, Labour ministers say: 'We will punish you with bin taxes' but we all know that carrots work better than sticks," he said."At the moment it's all about pain not gain. If you don't recycle enough, Labour ministers say: 'We will punish you with bin taxes' but we all know that carrots work better than sticks," he said.
"So I say reward people who do recycle with £130 a year on average for every family that does their bit.""So I say reward people who do recycle with £130 a year on average for every family that does their bit."
'Real time' consumption'Real time' consumption
Mr Osborne also pledged to cut carbon emissions from government departments by 10% in the first year of a Conservative administration - which he said would save £300m each year.Mr Osborne also pledged to cut carbon emissions from government departments by 10% in the first year of a Conservative administration - which he said would save £300m each year.
He said the party was "deadly serious" about the "challenging" target and was prepared to use the "clout of the Treasury" to ensure departments met it - by telling them they will be given less money to spend on energy bills. He said the party was "deadly serious" about the target and was prepared to use the "clout of the Treasury" to ensure departments met it - by telling them they will be given less money to spend on energy bills.
He said that the Conservatives would publish online, in "real time", the energy consumption of all Whitehall departments.He said that the Conservatives would publish online, in "real time", the energy consumption of all Whitehall departments.
Why should anyone believe a piece of greenwash from George Osborne? Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Householders would be rewarded for recycling under the scheme
And every home would be offered a "smart meter" - allowing them to compare how much energy they were using with similar properties and encouraging them to bring it down. And every home would be offered a "smart meter" - allowing them to compare how much energy they were using with similar properties.
Other plans include setting up a "green investment bank" to help get private money to finance new green technology companies and introducing "green ISAs" allowing people to save money in tax-free accounts that will be used to invest in green companies.Other plans include setting up a "green investment bank" to help get private money to finance new green technology companies and introducing "green ISAs" allowing people to save money in tax-free accounts that will be used to invest in green companies.
Mr Osborne accused Alistair Darling of being "at best indifferent, at worst obstructive" on environmental issues.Mr Osborne accused Alistair Darling of being "at best indifferent, at worst obstructive" on environmental issues.
'Good idea''Good idea'
But Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband criticised the Conservative policy, saying it involved no new money. But Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC: "George Osborne wants to convince you that you can have essentially a free lunch, that he can cut the deficit, cut public spending and he can also cut carbon emissions.
"The truth is that the Tories have opposed Labour's extra public investment, including the £400m allocated at the time of the budget for new green industries," Mr Miliband said. "But the truth is, what we've just heard from him, he doesn't have a clue how he's going to do it."
"So why should anyone believe a piece of greenwash from George Osborne?" The government was already cutting carbon emissions from the Whitehall departments, which he said were down 16% on 1999 levels, by 2010 he said.
The Lib Dems' energy spokesman Simon Hughes said: "George Osborne's decision to back a 10% cut in the emissions of government departments is a good idea now and was a good idea one month ago when he and his leader failed to vote for a Liberal Democrat motion that would have done exactly this. It's a pity the Tories' deeds so often fail to match their words Simon HughesLib Dems
"It's a pity the Tories' deeds so often fail to match their words." "To get these kind of reductions in emissions you need some upfront investment - it's like lagging your loft or putting in a new heating system - but he wants to cut public spending."
Lib Dem energy spokesman Simon Hughes said Mr Osborne had not voted for a Lib Dem motion last month to cut Whitehall's carbon emissions by 10% adding: "It's a pity the Tories' deeds so often fail to match their words."
Mike Webster, a spokesman for the charity Waste Watch, had some concerns about rewarding people for recycling.Mike Webster, a spokesman for the charity Waste Watch, had some concerns about rewarding people for recycling.
He told the BBC: "Although the scheme will encourage people to recycle more, it does not actually encourage them to produce less waste. You could even say that it is encouraging people to produce waste by paying them."He told the BBC: "Although the scheme will encourage people to recycle more, it does not actually encourage them to produce less waste. You could even say that it is encouraging people to produce waste by paying them."
But he acknowledged that many local authorities, especially ones in inner cities, were failing to increase recycling rates, and that many traditional methods had failed. But Mike Childs from Friends of the Earth welcomed Mr Osborne's pledge to put the Treasury at the forefront of green policies and for a green investment bank adding: "He rightly recognises that emissions trading isn't working and that other policy tools are needed to tackle climate change."