I have campaigned against AWCs in Oxford since they were introduced. I agree completely with the article above. In addition, I would like to add that I am appalled at the bullying tactics used by my Council, and I am sure others, against those who raise a voice in protest. A Councillor has lied about a rat infestation in my house, claiming there is no proof, denied there is an increase in the rat problem since the introduction of the AWCs, and then swivelled by saying the course of the problem is in my drain - all in the press and sometimes on national radio.

So I believe this appalling system also evidences the fact that Councils are nbo loner serving or representing the wishes of those who vote them in, but become inflexible and inefficient bureacrats. There is little chance of having input with sensible ideas when there is such arrogant behaviour, and no means to call Councillors to account while they are in power.

Dr Frances Kennett

Dr Frances Kennett, Oxford,

unfortunately land fills generate methane which is ten times worse than co2. Burning waste is far more environmentally friendly, especially when using modern day filters. What people don't look at when quoting co2 figures is the amount generated by cattle (which is mostly methane) obviously you cant modify or fit filters to cattle but what they eat can affect levels they produce. People work harder than ever and are unlikely to give up their holidays which require flights or their cars to get to work so lets redevelop what we have and stop trying to fine, tax and bully people into doing things.

Paul Walker, blackpool, uk

I agree. I live in a semi-rural area in South Derbyshire and we frequently awake to another pile of rubbish, dumped on the verges during the night. The council will and do collect this quickly, but the are the increasing costs of clearing up fly tipping being considered.? Many people just don't care and if it gets too difficult to use a bin, they will use anywhere else instead!

H Coxon, Derby, Derbyshire

If you live in my part of the New Forest DC area, you put out a pink bag filled with ordinary rubbish, and a clear bag for recyclable rubbish. The DC gives you the bags, and the clear bag has instructions as to what should be put in it..

Easy.

Michael Smith, Southampton, UK

Richard Garland is right. Landfill is very good for the environment. It is efficient and ecologocially sound. There is no shortage of potential sites, and completed landfill sites can become wonderful havens for wildlife and recreation.

How can it be good for the environment to waste energy on inefficient recycling? Paper recycling is particularly stupid, because it not only wastes energy and creates pollution, but every time we use recycled paper we make it less enonomically viable for someone else to plant trees to be made into virgin paper. The paper industry is an excellent way of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere - but only if the used paper is buried in landfill.

Patrick Hadley, Lichfield,

The debate raging around rubbish collection and recycling continues to ignore the elephant in the room - the only way to reduce our production of rubbish is by buying less of everything in the first place and to insist that what we do buy is not wastefully over-packaged. Whether we recycle it, landfill it or ship it to third world countries to deal with is not the important issue; what we need to do is reduce what we throw "away".

Madeleine Bailey , London,

The reason why the councils are resorting to desperate measures is because they are going to be fined heavily by the EU if they don't hit their recycling target. For that reason we should support the councils because in the end we will pick up that bill too. I can not understand people who illegaly dump rubbish - this is such a yobbish behaviour. Also, with a little effort it is easily possible to reduce the rubbish that goes into landfill, I don't understand why the rest of Europe can manage this but in England there is such a palaver over rubbish collections. In the long term, however there are big questions about the recycling schemes that are now in place, especially for plastic, which needs to be reviewed.

Carl, London,

What an enlightened article - food for thought. It makes a change to hear reasoned argument rather than the diatribes of the Left and Greens.

We have been "recycling" for many years ( West Berks.) with a weekly rubbish collection - efficient, clean and with clear info. provided. The Conservatives have pledged to maintain the service.

Those councils that have been failing to organise recycling properly over the last decade are the ones which appear to have had to resort to fortnightly collections and ridiculous rules.

Poor organisation and dumb economics are now resulting in blatant spin to convince ratepayers that all is well with no health hazard and it will be the same councils trying to charge this extra stealth tax to cover-up appalling mismanagement over the last few years.

People are sick and tired of Labour's taxes and pressure on local council funding, and their Stalinist approach resulting in recycling "enforcement" and Third World fortnightly rubbish collections.

Paul Butler, Reading, UK

Ross is absolutly right.... I am a shopfitting contractor working nationally, and everyday have those huge 40yd roll on roll off skips taken away full of debris, all of which is sorted out by the skip contractors at thier "transfer yards" and all recyclable items seperated with only the minimum balance going to landfill. Why wouldnt councils do the same.. surley its what they are paid for? instead of this absurb nonsence of people storing rubbish that attracts vermin / then driving to recycling bins / and councils employing inspectors to examine our bins and prosecute us, how do they get away with charging for a service they dont seem to want to provide? Its just another bright idea from town hall idiots like doing away with school buses in rural areas, now instead of 1 bus holding the traffic up twice a day we have 40 cars and 4x4's instead with 40 extra drivers time........ David George

david George, Ware, hertfordshire,

Reduce the need to throw away - outlaw unnecessary packaging, plastic bags, repair or upgrade rather than throw away appliances and gadgets. The problem is those who produce the rubbish, not the consumers who have to throw it away (except the goodness knows how many % of food unnecessarily binned!!)

Philip, Ely, England

Is Ross Clark actually a journalist? There are already single-streem recycling plants in the UK. Greenwich has one which opened in February 2005 and several London boroughs now send commingled waste to it.

Kate, London,

Such diverse comment shows people are really concerned, and would contribute if they saw positive results. Solutions must come from government investment.

Defra "Waste New Technologies Catalogue - 2007 Update" lists the EVRS "Zero Bury" solution with the first UK plant under way, at www.evrs.co.uk. This recycles 100% of all household & like non-hazardous waste, recovers the usual recyclates (aggregates, glass, metals, plastics, etc.) and makes a new material, a sterile cellulosic fibre (SCF).

SCF can make wood-plastic composites, displacing wood flour & plastics. SCF is also a great soil amendment, retaining moisture & resists erosion, as equine footing, & SCF makes fuel, like medium coal, but without the emissions.

So there is zero left to buried!

Downsides? A reduced carbon footprint, but no discharges to air, land or water, and no health hazards - check it out. www.evrs.co.uk

Also, no source sorting is needed, all done in a clean eco-friendly plant.

Martin C Osment, Shoreham-By-Sea, UK

Ross Clark suggests Councils might "Fine those who put a tin can in a bag meant for plastic bottles". But here in South Devon we are instructed to do just that - cans and plastic bottles go into a single clear bag. There are vague threats that we might be fined if we do NOT do this. Paper goes in another special bag, the rest into a mish-mash black bag.

But seriously, I strongly disgree with Ross and the other nay-sayers on recycling. We make far too much rubbish and have to learn to mend our ways. For a start everyone with even the tinyest garden should be composting vegetable waste.

Digby, Dartmouth, Devon

Reduce your carbon footprint

Ban double glazing - it costs more than it saves
Cavity wall insulation - ditto

Drive old cars, don't eat fast food, don't buy preperpared meals.

In other words live like you ran out of money a decade ago.

It makes sense you know it. And you'll end up looking like a fully paid up member of the 'wholefoods and sandals brigade' - anyone else noticed that is where they hid when the SWP got thrown out of New Labour?

JDS, Cardiff, Wales

Well Wolfgang, Europe is working so well that you are now in the USA! What is the recycling like there, I wonder!?

Bryan, Torquay,

Re-Cycling is like Global Warming. It is a Religion. As with all Religions, Faith has nothing to do with reality. I am amazed that Rowan at Canterbury has not sanctified a re-cycling center.! I refuse to re-cycle on the grounds that I am destroying industries that produce the junk. If Houston wants to play with my junk, go ahead make my day.!

Desmond, Houston, USA Tx

Well said Ross, at last the truth about this mad 'recyclemania' is exposed. A further flaw in the DUT study is that there was no provision made for glass re-use! We have abandoned our reusable glass systems in favour of carting thousands of tonnes of bottles around the country to be wastefully remelted, or worse, exported abroad because there is little market for green glass in the UK!
What we must remember that the DUT recycling study embraced ALL recycling; including industrial recycling of materials which is almost always cost effective and environmentally beneficial.
The final conclusion from the study was that 83% of recycling was worthwhile, but we must also read that 17% of recycling is a waste of time, and in virtually every case this was shown to be our 'household waste recycling, that fell into this category, and if provision for glass re-use was taken into account that figure would have been even higher!
Lets get some sensible solutions now we have diagnosed the disease.

C S Friedlos, UK,

I know that planes work because I've flown on one. I know that the Severn Bridge works because I've driven over it. I know that going to work is worth my time because I have more money in the bank than if I don't bother (granted, this doesn't apply to everyone).
So how can I know (as opposed to believing in being 'green' as if its some kind of wacky religion) that recycling works?

Theo, Somerset, UK

In Exeter we have fortnightly collections and it seems to work well. We are two adults with two young boys a pretty typical family and I am sure if we can manage most people should be able to. By the way we are not green an I do think it is a way of saving money but surely that is what they are ment to do.
Exeter uses a single-stream collection for recyclable waste and is automated as Maryland. So I am sure other councils in Enagland must be aware.

roger cook, Exeter,

I live in Edmonton Alberta which has an internationally admired recycling scheme. The householder only has to divide waste into rubbish, which goes into a black bag, and recycling which goes into a blue bag. The waste is further sorted at the depot, using the kind of automated system described by Ross Clark. Much of what cannot be recycled is composted and the City is building an incinerator that will be a combined heat and power plant.

There are no fines for non-compliance, but the city does put resources into raising public awareness and fostering city pride in the scheme, including a volunteer 'master composter and recycler' programme. Citizens are encouraged to 'reduce, re-use and recycle' and compost household waste.

The system is very popular with the public - the waste department's approval ratings are higher than the fire service! It seems preferable to me than the systems being introduced in the UK.

Jane Leaper, Edmonton, Canada/Alberta

The issue I think he's trying to make is the fact that revenue is being created through fines for not sorting out your rubbish in the way they'd like.
They council/government put a system like this in place then it is exploited but by that time it's to late to do anything and you all just have to pay your fines, like it or lump it.

If you look under the lip at the front of your wheelie bin, you'll notice a small circular space for what is called an "RFID chip", these will be used to identify your rubbish when it's being dumped into the back of the truck. Obviously a computer will analyze your rubbish and fine you automatically accordingly.

I hate the way they market recycling as “1 Can creates enough energy to power your fridge for 20 minutes” and all that rubbish! IT DOESN’T POWER MY FRIDGE, so who’s fridge is it powering… it’s like saying, you recycle and we’ll make money out of the energy your rubbish produces from being recycled.

Andy, North East, England,

My word, with the exception of a few voices of sanity, there are people who comment on here who clearly need help! Eco Fascism? Really? Is clearing up your own waste a fanatical thing? Wake up and smell the rubbish people - global warming isn't a myth, your country is overflowing with rubbish and we are poisoning the world. Listen to yourselves whingeing - and take responsibility.

Richard, Bakewell, UK

Robert,

When biodegradable waste is landfilled, it emits methane which is 21 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon. The greatest greenhouse benefit from diverting waste from landfill is the averted methane - other benefits from energy generation or recycled products are the icing on the cake.

chris, sydney, nsw

Not a great deal of enlightenment here; except for the idea that environmentalism is a religion. Of course it is; both fundamental versions spawn their own nutters... er I mean zealots. They never hesitate to invoke the manadatory heretic/blasphemy clause. You know, the same kind of thing which gets a teacher banged up and threatened with flogging for naming a teddy bear Al Gore... er sorry Mahommed. And of course each has its own Ayatollahs (back to Al Gore again).
I will continue to defy both.

Ian Simpkins, Offley Hay, UK

I recently observed recycling in action. First, I asked for my recycling box because it had never arrived. It continued to not arrive. I phoned again and was promised a recycling box but advised that it could be put in a cardboard box instead. I did. It wasn't collected. Ever. Finally I bought my own plastic recycling box and put the (by now large) pile of newspapers into it. On collection day, our kind bin man took the box, chucked the paper into my neighbour's non-recycle wheelie bin, jumped on it to squish it down, and put all the rubbish in the same garbage lorry. That's how we do it in Surrey.

Loftwork, horley,

Reading Ken Cairney's comments reminded me of living in rural Bedfordshire years ago, a green and pleasant land indeed.
That is, until atmospheric vagaries/ wind direction coated everything with a film of white dust from the cement works chimney three miles up the road; at least cement dust is fairly inert and obvious, but you have to wonder about what you can't see.
I still wonder whether the mass incineration of infected cattle a few years ago helped contain the disease or simply spread it downwind; after all, it's often not difficult to guess the menu of a neighbour's BBQ.

MikeM, St. Albans, England

These green fanatics really do NOT have any interest in actually meeting or exceeding the recycling targets, but only are interested in forcing their 'holier than thou' sanctimonious ego trip onto the rest of us. IF they really cared about recycling, then they would be all in favour of efficient central recycling plants that do it all for us. they would stop fly-tipping and make sure that EVERYONE's refuse is properly and fully recycled. We would only need one large bin and all the rubbish could be put in there, efficiently recycled and the other waste sent to landfill, which would then generate methane that can be used for energy production.

Sorry, I know that this is a simple, common sense solution, and that it flies in the face of new-labour incompetence, sleazey and bizaro-world philosophy, but it really would work.

Ken, B, UK

I live in Harrow, and all our recyclable stuff goes into a single bin too. I've never had to sort magazines from plastic bottles.

Neil, London,

We also have single-stream recycling here in Lewisham. Everything that can be recycled goes into one green wheely bin that we share with our downstairs neighbour and the council take it away.

Definitely the way forward as it makes recycling so easy.

Pete, London,

At last an article recognising the Emperor does not have any clothes, thank you. Recycling is not the solution to the problems with the planet, its tantamount to heresy to say it. Ecology is an industry, captained by zealots, generating income for Local and National Govt at the expense of the taxpayer, again! Eco Fascism has reached fever pitch in London, banning this and that, fining people for putting waste in the wrong bin. The inquisition will be next! If you don't recycle or believe in recycling you will be singled out, hunted down and fined! Fine the heretic!

David , London, England

I put my rubbish out, as I always have done, in black plastic sacks at the bottom of my drive on the night before collection - unsorted. As soon as any of my bags are uncollected due to waste being unsorted I will dump the rubbish in one of several nearby hedges or other quiet local areas. I really don't care about recycling and the whole exercise is simply one of meeting politically conceived targets. I look at the state of our roads and pavements on collection day with black bags, plastic boxes, (blue, red, green to follow), green plastic bags and all its attendant overflow which remains for months and years and think to myself "this is all so that some useless council employee can tick another box". I'm past caring about the environment since no-one else does.

Steve, Birmingham,

Well said Ross. Contrary to most resondents i agree with every word. When I look at the 'green agenda' all I see is punishment in the form of fines. No real effort to get us to reduce the rubbish we create - unless it means we might spend more money.

The governement introduces a 'green tax' at airports. Of 5£. really, what is that going to do? It's a token.

So for me so far, no one has really shown any genuine moral desire to 'save the planet'.

chris , london,

I have never understood the point in recycling paper. Without meaning to sound flippant, paper does literally grow on trees.

And the trees used for paper pulp in Europe are invariably from managed (or "sustainable" if you prefer) forestry operations. That means the trees are planted at the same rate as they are felled. I thought the greens were in favour of tree planting?

Same goes for glass. It's made of sand. What's the big deal about saving sand?

Redcliffe, London,

Wow, some fifteen years ago we Germans had to put up with British visitors' and expats' ridiculing us for our waste-separation-and-recycling madness. Now they seem to have surpassed us, showing the same or even more ecological self-righteousness than my mother country... You can say what you will: Europe is working!

Wolfgang, Boulder, Colorado, USA

I'm just waiting for the day when leather and woollen goods
and clothing become designated as "dead animals"

Kev Somers, Hertford, Herts UK

Ross Clark is bang on with this. Recycling is just a way for the public do do the councils jobs. All this means is that when I go up the local tip there is 6 men smoking fags and watching me off load a fridge freezer. I wish I could run a business where I remove the customer service and charge people more. And people say councils are daft.

John, Egremont,

Our contribution to global warming is abour 3%.
The main problems are those in the third world and the U.S.
However, who are we to tell them how to live and improve their quality of life.

Bernard Parke, Guildford,

Turn prisons into recycling plants. Lengthen the sentences for those who choose not to co-operate.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

At last a voice of reason. The 'green' targets are the wrong way around. Instead of recycling more, we should be encouraged to throw less into landfill. Instead of using more so-called renewable energy, we should be aiming to use less fossil fuel. That way we can look at more sensible packaging instead of rewarding councils for disposing of wasteful packaging. We can find ways of using energy more efficiently instead of giving large amounts of money to companies building wind farms that are not likely to last long enough to justify their original cost.

P Robbins, Cornwall,

Well, I never knew mid-Bedfordshire was part of the USA. We've had single-stream recycling here ever since it started. Every few years they add a new category to what can be recycled, but it's always gone into just one sack or bin.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

IF atmospheric CO2 levels are a concern - surely we should be landfilling more rubbish, especially paper and wood. This would trap carbon underground - and necessitate more tree growing for further wood and paper - thereby removing more carbon from the atmosphere

richard garland, Greater Manchester,

We're supose to Reduce first then Reuse and only then Recycle. But as usual we've fixed on the easy option and spend all our time moaning about it. Another one for the 'what it means to be British' list

Susan, Barry, S Wales

This is chock full of bad arguments. If the benefits of recycling are not obvious or chancy, I'll take a chance in helping the environment than hurt it for certain by landfilling or incinerating.

Incineration cannot be whitewashed. Garbage is a very dirty fuel.

The Japanese sort recycling in myriad different ways. Their recycling bins have over 20 categories. The country is resource poor and the population is constantly educated on how and why to recycle.

If you are not sure whether recycling works, make sure. Dont dump it.

Alex P, New York, NY, USA

With 1000 word limit this is not going to be grammatically pleasing!
Dumping - Problem is nothing like scare stories Our local council has system for 3 years no problem.
No Waste Strategy - Congrats. at least you got one fact right.
Fine to Raise Money - Laughable the amount of fines will certainly amount to miniature peanuts across Uk.
Saving Money - Though that was a good idea?
Fortnightly Collections - Still get weekly recycling collections! I accept this does not go down well.
Urban Daily Collections - I bet this is for commercial Waste Shops etc!
New Sorting Technology - On its Way around my area Hampshire have, East Sussex building and West Sussex coming on line early 2009!
Incinerators Stalled - Mostly by public objection!
Studies - Generally there are 1000's to say whatever you want. Picking good ones = more difficult.
China - My partner is Chinese. If you really believe the 'rubbish' you wrote I suggest you go and see for yourself!!
Sorry folks out of words!

Robert Nye, Horsham, West Sussex

Interestingly, i've noticed that the Paris Waste Collectors are getting stroppy as well, refusing to take the bin and putting a sticky tape band around the top. Whereas before they would take almost everything, except building site rubble (i tried it).

Samuel Young, Paris, France

"This is exactly what happens in the case of the Eastcroft combined heat and power plant, which has been consuming nearly a third of Nottinghamshire’s waste since it opened in 1973."

Perhaps if Mr. Clark lived in the area dominated by Eastcroft and had personal experience of the pollution it creates in the form of particulate discharges, fumes and offensive odours his views would be different. Eastcroft has been emitting poisonous chemicals throughout its' working life, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid gas,are only some of the substances we know about but only because they exceeded "reportable" levels.

Every year since commissioning this plant has exceeded laid down safe levels for emissions , without fail, I suggest two things to Mr, Clark; more research and unless you know what you ARE talking about SHUT UP.

Ken Cairney, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Dubbing recyling proponents 'propagandists' and titling the article 'green myths' is misleading, as is equating environmentalism with religion. Essentially, what you seem to be advocating is more investment in sorting kit at the local council recycling site. And more waste incineration, which I agree with.

Really, what we need are more technocrats in positions of power in local councils instead of political drones.
The really religious seem to believe that god put the earth here for mankind to plunder (so in that sense environmentalism is the opposite of religion).

paul newbold, sheffield, uk