Philip Hammond considering plans for ‘incineration tax’ amid fears England will soon burn more rubbish than it recycles
Rubbish burned for energy has trebled from 2011 to ten million tonnes a year but recycling has stuck at 11million tonnes
CASH-STRAPPED councils face a new “incineration tax” amid fears England will soon be burning more rubbish than it recycles.
Details buried in the Treasury’s Budget book reveal the Chancellor will consider the introduction of a levy on the burning of waste such as plastic to “maximise” the amount being recycled.
The amount burned for energy has TRIPLED since 2010-2011 to 10 million tonnes a year – while recycling has plateaued at around 11 million tonnes.
Less than half of plastic packaging is recycled – and plastic films and black plastic trays are almost always burnt for energy.
A landfill tax was introduced in 1996 and has been credited cutting the amount of rubbish buried in the ground by more than 15 per cent.
In the Budget ‘Red Book’, the Treasury admits incineration has an “important role” to play in waste management.
But it says: “In the long term the government wants to maximise the amount of waste sent to recycling instead.”
“Should wider policies not deliver the government’s waste ambitions in the future, it will consider the introduction of a tax on the incineration of waste.”
Treasury secretary Robert Jenrick in May signalled a tax could be on the cards as part of the war on plastic.
Officials said the idea was that waste companies collecting rubbish for councils would pay a tax on every tonne of plastic they burn to encourage them to invest in new technologies.
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But experts claim the cost will undoubtedly be passed onto local authorities.
There are now 40 incinerators – or energy-from-waste facilities – in the UK – up from 26 in 2014. In July the National Infrastructure Commission said some 20 incinerators may be required unless recycling levels increase and food waste collections are rolled out nationwide.
Figures last December revealed eight million families cannot recycle tubs and food trays as councils won’t collect them in their recycling rounds.
Brighton & Hove – despite being controlled by the Greens – is one of the 27 per cent of local authorities which only collects plastic bottles.
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