Tories unveil pay-to-recycle plan

9 July 2008 03:52pm

Householders could be paid to recycle under plans outlined by the Conservatives.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said the innovative approach was working in the US, where households in hundreds of communities are being paid up to 50 dollars (£25) a month to recycle.

He said he wanted to see the same policy rolled out across the UK to make it "pay to go green" in this country.

The shadow chancellor said: "Right now, the UK has one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe.

"The Government's approach is an old-fashioned one: use the threat of fines and punitive taxation to force people to recycle.

"We've all seen how unpopular this heavy-handed approach has been with the public.

"Instead of using sticks we can use carrots. Instead of punitive taxes, we can use financial incentives."

In the US, recycling companies save local authorities money by reducing their landfill - which is taxed as it is in the UK - and use the cash to pay householders to recycle.

The scheme has increased the amount of waste being recycled by more than 200% in some communities, the shadow chancellor said.

Mr Osborne is outlining the plans as part of a speech to environmental think tank Green Alliance on the Tories' environmental policies.

© The Press Association