LAWS TELL BRITONS EXACTLY HOW TO TAKE OUT TRASH

ncpa.org ^ | June 30, 2008

[InvisibleChurch]

Great Britain is in the midst of a trash crisis, with dwindling landfill space and one of Europe\'s poorest recycling records. Threatened with steep fines if they dump too much trash, local governments around the country are imposing strict regimens to force residents to produce less and recycle more, says the New York Times.

For example:

Many local governments now collect trash only twice a month, instead of every week. They restrict households to a limited amount of garbage and refuse to pick up more. They require that garbage be put out only at specific times. They impose fines (often in the hundreds of dollars) for failure to comply with their rigid restrictions. Other forms of punishment include receiving a "sticker of shame" that informs the public a resident has violated local garbage laws. Britain may begin experimenting with programs under which households would pay a "garbage bill," similar to an electricity or water bill, according to how much garbage they throw out. The British government says the new regulations are necessary if Britain is to adjust to the changing times:

Along with the rest of Europe, Britain has been ordered to reduce the waste it puts in landfills -- by 2015, to 50 percent of what is was in 1995 -- or face untold millions of dollars in European Union fines. In 1997, Britain recycled just 7 percent of its waste, compared with 33 percent now. More than 60 percent of Britain\'s waste ends up in landfills, compared with 55 percent for the United States in 2006. Source: Sarah Lyall, "Laws Tell Britons Exactly How to Take Out Trash," New York Times, June 27, 2008.

For text:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/world/europe/27garbage.html

For more on Regulatory Issues:

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=38

[InvisibleChurch]

[null and void]

Expect more fly tipping.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Laughing dog is amused.

[Fox_Mulder77]

They restrict households to a limited amount of garbage and refuse to pick up more

[Sig Sauer P220]

We have a way to take out trash. Its called elections. Unfortunately, the trash rarely ever gets taken out.

[Sender]

Fly tippers! Never was a more greivous threat to the Crown ever manifested on England’s green and pleasant shores! And let’s not forget over-salters. And pointy knives.

[Think free or die]

"Britain may begin experimenting with programs under which households would pay a "garbage bill," similar to an electricity or water bill, according to how much garbage they throw out."

Sounds like a great way to encourage trash dumping along roadsides and elsewhere.

[WayneS]

Yeah, I know. Our Capitol building looks kind of like the inside of that car in Post#4, doesn’t it?

[WayneS]

Heck.

Just dump it in the middle of the street and set it on fire.

The “authorities” will probably mistake it for another “youth protest” and write it off as part of living in a “diverse” culture.

[Nowhere Man]

Just dump it in the middle of the street and set it on fire.

I remember we used to burn it when I was a kid. Although someone else said it, all this would do is encourage people to burn their trash or find some place to dump it illegally. I'm not a big fan of Ayn Rand but she is right on this one, going form memory, "the more laws you create, the more criminals you make."

[Nowhere Man]

Forgot:

In threads about the shrinking freedoms in the UK, the quote I use:

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November....."

[Gorzaloon]

Along with the rest of Europe, Britain has been ordered to reduce the waste it puts in landfills -- by 2015, to 50 percent of what is was in 1995 -- or face untold millions of dollars in European Union fines.

I have a better idea. The UK still has an Air Force for the moment.

Nuke Brusells to the bedrock, and repeat every year till the Global Rule Delusions stop. How can such a thing have ever happened or gotten this far?

[Santino Sonny Corleone]

what a mess they have created. Once they ran the mighty British Empire now they can’t even collect garbage

[TribalPrincess2U]

“Sounds like a great way to encourage trash dumping along roadsides and beaches.”

You are so right. Trash has to go somewhere. Another stupid, stupid idea.

One only has to look at Britain to see our future under stupid, stupid dhimocRAT rule.

[bigred41]

“Britain may begin experimenting with programs under which households would pay a “garbage bill,” similar to an electricity or water bill, according to how much garbage they throw out.”

“Sounds like a great way to encourage trash dumping along roadsides and elsewhere.”

Where I live we have to purchase special garbage bags from the garbage disposal company- where I used to live we also had this program- it’s called pay-per-throw in some places. We didn’t dump our trash on roadsides. You just recycle more and pay for the garbage you do throw out.

[Creeping Incrementalism]

“Britain may begin experimenting with programs under which households would pay a “garbage bill,” similar to an electricity or water bill”

So in England, they don’t have to pay for garbage service? Seems that from the comments in this thread, many of the posters don’t have to pay one either—that seems strange. A private company comes to take away your garbage, so why would you not have to pay them for it?

I once worked for the local gov’t recycling agency here in the S.F. Bay Area. The idea that we were running out of landfill space and that we had to recycle 50% of our garbage was assumed to be a given, with no justification even attempted. A good portion of the people working there were dogmatic environmentalists who left little room in their thought for practicality. They were jealous of any municipalties that could fine people for not recycling. They all drove to work too, despite the fact that they claimed to be environmentalists and public transportation wasn’t overly far away (about a 15 minute walk from the communter train station). This was 2000 and global warming wasn’t as hyped as it is now, but I’m sure they were all aware of it. Their environmental convictions were enough to make them want to fine other people for not following them, but not enough to make my co-workers do anything to inconvenience themselves.

[Think free or die]

"We didn’t dump our trash on roadsides. You just recycle more and pay for the garbage you do throw out."

I don't doubt that many people would cough up the extra money and follow the rules. However, I think the incentive for illegal dumping is a bad idea. Not everyone is so conscientious, and roadside dumping is ugly and expensive to clean up.

I prefer the system our township has put in place. Each household has a large wheeled bin for co-mingled recyclables. The lid contains an RFID chip coded for the address. Every week the bin is weighed before dumping into the trash truck. We receive credits to our account for the weight of recyclables. The credits are redeemable for discounts at local merchants. At the same time, we have a second bin per household for non-recyclables and a third bin for yard waste. We like earning 20-25% discounts off our grocery bill; our family recycles diligently. With co-mingled recycling and a wide range of recycled materials, I find it very easy to live within the constraints of one large non-recyclable bin per week. Sometimes we run out of room for the recyclables but seldom the other. This also serves as an incentive to pick up trash and carry it home to our bin. Glass is especially nice - it's heavy!

[Rebelbase]

“Other forms of punishment include receiving a “sticker of shame” that informs the public a resident has violated local garbage laws.”

My city has a trash inspector that rides around ahead of the collection trucks randomly checking for recyclables in the garbage and vice versa.

My neighbors had a handful of weeds on top of their garbage and received a page sized, orange, violation sticker plastered to their can. The garbage truck didn’t empty their can that week either.