List of councils running fortnightly collections

Landfill space to dump rubbish is going to run out across England unless recycling rates rise and waste thrown into tips is cut dramatically, council leaders have cautioned.

The amount of land used to dump nearly 18 million tonnes of domestic rubbish and nonrecyclable waste each year is already the size of Warwick, covering 109 square miles (280 sq km). But local council chiefs have warned ministers that they have run out of options to throw out any more waste, The Times has learnt.

The Local Government Association said that with brown-field sites used increasingly for development, and greenfield sites protected, it may be impossible to develop new sites. Local opposition and difficulties obtaining planning permission could now prevent any further large-scale landfill sites.

The lack of dumping sites coincides with huge pressure on councils to increase the amount of waste they recycle, and a backlash of public opinion against twice-monthly rubbish collections.

David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, is expected to set out even stricter targets for recycling waste next month to meet EU targets and combat global warming. At present councils are expected to recycle 25 per cent of their waste, increasing this to 40 per cent in 2015. But Mr Miliband’s waste strategy to be published next month will force councils to recycle 40 per cent of their rubbish by 2010, with even higher figures demanded by 2015.

Councils face the prospect of EU fines of £150 a tonne if they fail to reach the targets. They are also having to pay £24 a tonne in landfill tax this month, rising to £32 a tonne in 2008. The extra expense of recycling rates has led to at least a third of all councils, 144, now offering only fortnightly collections for normal domestic refuse and fortnightly pickups for recyclable rubbish, on alternate weeks.

Residents in some council areas have complained that fortnightly collections of black sacks increase smells in and outside the house, and attract flies, cats and foxes. But research commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found no evidence that twice-monthly collections increased health hazards or rodents, provided that food was wrapped in plastic and put in closed bins or bags.

The Local Government Association (LGA) claims that councils cannot afford to send two lots of trucks every week to pick up nonrecyclable and recyclable waste separately. Although new lorries are now being designed to pick up both sets of waste, most councils will not be able to buy them until they need to replace their current vehicles.

Council leaders claim also that fortnightly collections act as an incentive to recycle waste. A survey published by the LGA yesterday shows that alternate weekly collections have boosted recycling rates by 30 per cent. On average, 30 per cent of household waste is recycled or composted by councils with alternate weekly collections. But in those areas still operating weekly collections, households recycle only 23 per cent of waste.

Nevertheless, some councils piloting twice-monthly collections have changed their minds and reverted to weekly collections after consulting residents. Many of these face council elections this year and are anxious not to anger voters.

Those that are reported to have changed their minds include Plymouth, Bury, Epping Forest, Sutton, Teignbridge, Chelmsford, Southampton and North Lanarkshire.

Lord Bruce-Lockhart, chairman of the LGA, said that it was up to councils and their residents to decide whether to opt for alternate weekly collections. “With landfill taxes set to rise dramatically in the coming five years, there will be more and more pressure on councils to cut the amount of rubbish that gets thrown into landfill,” Lord Bruce-Lockhart said.

He added: “Britain is the dustbin of Europe, with more rubbish thrown into landfill than any other country on the Continent. For decades people have been able to throw rubbish away without worrying about the environmental consequences or rising costs. These days are over now.”

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