“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.
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!