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Microchips In Dustbins Spy On Three Million (UK)
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-24-2007 | Brendan Carlin

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1984; dustbins; households; microchips; rfid; spy; tagging
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1 posted on 05/23/2007 7:53:59 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

Bustbins, eh? A place for discarded breast implants?


2 posted on 05/23/2007 7:55:06 PM PDT by arasina (So there.)
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To: blam

I don’t think even Monty Python could do this justice.


3 posted on 05/23/2007 7:56:12 PM PDT by farmer18th
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To: blam

Bruscar!!!


4 posted on 05/23/2007 7:56:18 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Fight Crime. Shoot Back.)
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To: blam

This is one thing that would get “accidently broken” real quick.


5 posted on 05/23/2007 8:01:07 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: arasina
Bustbins, eh? A place for discarded breast implants?

Sounds like one of the assorted recycling containers Penn & Teller foisted upon people.

6 posted on 05/23/2007 8:03:16 PM PDT by supercat (Sony delenda est.)
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To: blam

Wow! Tell me again why we don’t want to be more European?


7 posted on 05/23/2007 8:09:08 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: Grinder; Esther Ruth; freepatriot32; prairiebreeze; tiamat; Ladysmith; Alas Babylon!; Malacoda; ...

From animal tagging to garbage tagging.


8 posted on 05/23/2007 8:09:19 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: blam
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.

...

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"

9 posted on 05/23/2007 8:17:42 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy ("Caesar - he is a barbarian and considers that the customs of his tribe are the laws of Nature")
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To: blam
I see a brisk business in chip zappers...
Chip? What chip? There's a chip in those things?

I'll be gobsmacked!

10 posted on 05/23/2007 8:19:07 PM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: blam

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.


11 posted on 05/23/2007 8:33:24 PM PDT by chuckles
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To: blam
I suppose the enviros are taking into account the waste and environmental costs they caused by forcing people to trash perfectly good, but now unapproved, bins.
12 posted on 05/23/2007 8:36:12 PM PDT by theBuckwheat
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To: chuckles
Some years ago, my chest freezer needed some freon so I called around. Not worth it, I was told. Better just replace it. So I did. Hey enviros: Your laws stink! You worry about a few ounces of freon and don’t seem to care about the cost to the environment caused by trashing a perfectly repairable freezer and having to replace it with a brand new one.

What morons. They better feel good about passing that law, because feelings are all we are going to get from it.

13 posted on 05/23/2007 8:39:08 PM PDT by theBuckwheat
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To: blam

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.


14 posted on 05/23/2007 10:24:55 PM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Jack Hammer

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.


15 posted on 05/24/2007 4:51:31 AM PDT by Malacoda (A day without a pi$$ed-off muslim is like a day without sunshine.)
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To: blam
And we all know what comes of putting microchips in dustbins...


16 posted on 05/24/2007 4:57:34 AM PDT by Eepsy (The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.)
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To: Jack Hammer

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.


17 posted on 05/24/2007 2:51:47 PM PDT by UKrepublican
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To: UKrepublican

“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.


18 posted on 05/25/2007 12:08:01 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: blam

Placing rocks in the bottom of the neighbors Bin could be fun.


19 posted on 05/25/2007 12:10:05 AM PDT by MaxMax (God Bless America)
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To: theBuckwheat

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....


20 posted on 05/25/2007 12:15:12 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: " There is no God named Allah, and Muhammed is his False Prophet")
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