Posted on 05/23/2007 7:53:58 PM PDT by blam
Microchips in dustbins spy on three million
By Brendan Carlin, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:20am BST 24/05/2007
More than three million households in Britain have rubbish bins equipped with "waste stealth tax" technology, it was claimed last night.
The microchips could be used to charge households for the amount of non-recyclable waste produced
Ahead of today's publication of the Government's national waste strategy, a survey revealed that 68 town halls have spent millions of pounds buying bins with microchips.
The figure is double previous estimates and will fuel fears that Labour has been moving secretly towards a European-style "bin tax".
The microchips, together with reading equipment which could be installed in refuse lorries, would allow councils to weigh each household's rubbish. The system could eventually be used to charge households for the amount of non-recyclable waste they produce, which currently has to be buried in landfill sites.
Britain is the only major European country not to have separate charges for refuse collection. But there are fears that any new system could cost an average of £20 a month for each home.
An opinion poll for the Channel 4 Despatches programme to be shown tonight, reveals that almost two in three people - 62 per cent - oppose the idea of a "pay as you throw" rubbish tax.
The poll also confirms massive concern over the disappearance of traditional weekly refuse collections. The Daily Telegraph revealed last month that about nine million people now had to put up with collections every two weeks.
In a statement to MPs today David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, will unveil a broad national waste strategy to bring a "collective effort" to recycle more and dump less.
Compared with other European countries, only Greece and Portugal recycle less than Britain.
The Environment Secretary is also likely to put pressure on supermarkets and manufacturers to reduce packaging. One fifth of annual household waste is packaging.
Mr Miliband is expected to pave the way to a new waste levy by launching a consultation exercise.
Officials refused last night to clarify his intentions.
But a government source said yesterday that Mr Miliband would outline plans whereby people who persistently refused to recycle their rubbish could be "fined".
However, Labour is desperate to avoid accusations that this amounts to an extra tax.
Mr Miliband is expected to shift responsibility on to local councils by saying it is up to them - not central government - to decide whether to levy the charges. But the Conservatives said last night that Labour could not escape the blame.
Eric Pickles, the Tory spokesman on local government, released a survey suggesting ministers have been developing the "bin tax" all along without public consent.
Compared with other European countries, only Greece and Portugal recycle less than Britain
The survey, based on freedom of information requests to councils, shows that roughly one in seven already have rubbish bins with microchip technology or are about to receive them. The Local Government Association [LGA] said yesterday it knew of only 30 such councils.
A spokesman for the Conservatives said: "These FoI requests reveal that a series of councils have been directly funded by the Government to install such microchips."
Blackpool has spent £3 million on a new bin contract, while Crewe and Nantwich, in Cheshire, has spent £3.5 million. The microchips, which on their own simply reveal which property the bin refers to, are not currently activated, the two councils said.
Currently, collecting rubbish costs on average £140 a household but the bill is buried in the council tax.
One government source claimed that under the system "greener householders" could actually end up paying less.
Last night, the LGA insisted that virtually all the current microchips were "inert", and that modern bins come already fitted with them.
Bustbins, eh? A place for discarded breast implants?
I don’t think even Monty Python could do this justice.
Bruscar!!!
This is one thing that would get “accidently broken” real quick.
Sounds like one of the assorted recycling containers Penn & Teller foisted upon people.
Wow! Tell me again why we don’t want to be more European?
From animal tagging to garbage tagging.
...
In a statement to MPs today David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, will unveil a broad national waste strategy to bring a "collective effort" to recycle more and dump less.
Certainly sounds like a way to get more rubbish put into the "recyclable bins"
I'll be gobsmacked!
They’ll just do what they do in East Texas now. When they started charging to throw away refers and Air Conditioners because of the Freon, we now have them scattered on each and every dirt road around here. Tires and Batteries now cost to recycle, we now have those on top of the freezers. Some day they will get smart and pay for the freezers aluminum, with or without freon and they will miraculously disappear from the landscape.
What morons. They better feel good about passing that law, because feelings are all we are going to get from it.
Big Nanny is watching you.
In Merry Olde England, mugging, murder, and rape are fine - but tossing a glass bottle in the aluminum can bin is dealt with severely.
George Orwell doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he spins in his grave.
Indeed. I’m thinking that if we hooked up some sort of generator to Thomas Jefferson, most of the Founding Fathers, Orwell and Huxley — we might produce enough electricity to power is into the next millenium.
It gives people an opportunity to save money. Fit one to my bin I don’t care.
People have electricity and gas meters for a reason.
“People have electricity and gas meters for a reason.”
Yes, they do: to assess use of commodities actively consumed, not to monitor transgressions of Nanny State priorities.
Placing rocks in the bottom of the neighbors Bin could be fun.
Took a broken microwave to the dump with a load of stuff ( I’m moving). Had to pay a special “appliance fee” to get rid of it. Asked if it had been a broken radio if the fee would apply, “why no, of course not”. Pointed out to the county employee that a microwave IS basically a radio....
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