Brent reveals true cost of failure to recycle
| Published: 26th September 2006 10:21 |
The council has noted that some other local authorities already recycle almost 40 per cent of their household and street waste compared to Brent's 20 per cent now.
It has worked out what services it could fund with the £1.1 million a year in landfill tax which could be saved by raising recycling rates by that extra 20 per cent.
The extra cash could fund 37 newly qualified teachers, or 11 brand new children's playgrounds, or 42 years' worth of residential care for older people, for example.
Councillor Irwin Van Colle, Executive Member for Environment, Planning and Culture, appealed for residents to recycle more.
He said: "This is money down the drain as these statistics show. It's shocking to see what other things we could actually fund if we just managed to recycle more.
"So I am appealing to all those residents who do not recycle their waste to think about the money we could all save if they did: I cannot 'make' you recycle but I can ask you to look at the maths."
"Whilst 40 per cent is an aspiration, 30 per cent is a target we want to achieve within two years and we would prefer to do it without introducing fines."
Currently 22,077 tonnes of street and household waste is recycled every year in Brent ? 20 per cent of the amount collected. The remainder - almost 90,000 tonnes approx - is sent to landfill, for which Brent has to pay £50 a tonne.
If Brent could recycle a further 22,000 tonnes approximately a year the equivalent of raising the recycling rate to 40 per cent that would save £1.1m a year in landfill tax.
Other services which the £1.1 million could fund include:
Approximately 220 new places at a secondary school.
33 years' worth of residential care for people with mental health problems aged between 18 and 64. 100,000 new books for Brent Council's libraries. A complete re-build of one of Brent Council's 12 libraries to provide more space for books, study, learning, children's activities, ICT. Two new sports pavilions with good changing facilities, and hot and cold water supply.
Brent has prioritised recycling and improved its rate from six per cent to 20 per cent in three years. The council is now exceeding the Government's target of 18 per cent.
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