News / flytipping
Plans to introduce waste disposal fees could lead to more fly-tipping
Plans to hike residential waste disposal fees under new Bristol City Council budget proposals could lead to more fly tipping, residents have warned.
The council has said it needs to increase fees and charges for some services to assist with the significant increase in costs of its waste and recycling operations.
As part of the proposed changes, residents will have to pay to replace their wheelie bins, at a charge of £28 per bin.
is needed now More than ever
The council has also proposed fee changes to waste disposal. Residents would be charged more for disposing garden waste, from the current one-off fee of £21 for a 240-litre bin and a £32 annual service charge.
Under new plans, the annual subscription for garden waste collection would also be increased to £50 and a one-off fee of £47.The council estimates there are approximately 31,000 subscribers to the service across the city.
Residents will also be charged for disposing DIY waste at recycling centres. The cost for bulkier items has also increased from £25 for any three bulky items to a proposed per item charge of £25 per sofa or armchair, and £50 for a three-piece suite.
The council said that the decision to charge for residential DIY waste puts the onus of responsibility on the individual household, supporting a “polluter pays” principle.
They hope the changes would encourage residents to reuse materials, donate them or share them with others, as a cheaper alternative to bringing them to the recycling centre.
“The service change will encourage people to think about what they throw away and encourage reuse and recycling,” a Bristol City Council Equality Impact Statement document states.
“Re-using or passing on household items has a wider social benefit to communities as people maximise the product life cycles and save money on purchasing new items.”
However some have warned that the fee hikes will only encourage more fly tipping in the city.
Brislington West councillor Andrew Varney said the proposals could have the opposite effect: “The introduction of, or increase in fees in many sectors will negatively affect economic activity and disincentive people from doing the right thing,” he tweeted.
Clive Hamilton from Knowle West agreed: “Think this will have an adverse impact and more so in less affluent neighbourhoods… and the corresponding increase in fly tipping and street dumping will impact things like people’s appreciation and sense of value of place.”
Main photo: Mia Vines Booth
Read next:
- Booking systems for tips will cause ‘an explosion’ in fly-tipping, says councillor
- Plans to relocate Central Library scrapped after public outcry
- Bristol park groups call on council to ‘urgently fund our parks’
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