NAO warns of fines for missing recycling targets
Local councils put on notice
The National Audit Office has warned local authorities they could be stung
with heavy fines if they fail to hit waste recycling targets.
In its report, Reducing the reliance on landfill in England, the
watchdog said failure to meet recycling targets could lead to fines of up to
£180m annually from the European Union.
This EU target calls for a reduction of at least 3.5 million tonnes of
biodegradable waste sent to landfill by 2010, and a further 3.7 million tonnes
by 2013.
If local authorities don’t meet these targets they will face penalties
totalling £40m a year, rising to £205m a year for exceeding allowance
allocations in 2013.
Auditor general Sir John Bourn said: ‘Reducing the amount of waste going to
landfill requires both new treatment plants and a greater use of recycling, and
no one should be in any doubt of the scale of the challenge involved.’