The cost of delivering local authority waste services could increase by £30million a year warns the WLGA today as a result of a new waste Measure which gives the Welsh Assembly Government legislative powers to increase the rate of recycling in Wales to 70% and impose financial penalties on local authorities that fail to meet this target.
On 2 November the Welsh Assembly Government will give its final consideration to a Measure which proposes a new legal obligation on local authorities in Wales to increase the rate of recycling to 70% compared to 50% required by the European directive.
At a time when the Spending Review requires that all parts of Government in Wales face up to the challenge of having less money, the WLGA is warning that this could add an extra £30 million to the annual cost of collecting and processing waste in Wales and urges the Assembly to reject the proposed targets on the basis that they are clearly unaffordable in the current circumstances.
Cllr Aled Roberts (Wrexham), WLGA Environment Spokesperson said:
“Local authorities are committed to increasing the recycling of waste – although minimising the amount of waste created in the first place should be the priority. On average we are currently recycling around 40% which is a great improvement on 7% which was achieved in 2000/01. As local authorities we recognise our responsibility to the future of the planet and are committed to increasing the rate of recycling as far as possible, in light of all our other responsibilities. However, the cost of achieving an imposed 70% target will raise serious issues for local authorities which could be compounded by the imposition of financial penalties if targets are missed.
Ultimately, the costs of achieving waste targets have to be weighed against paying for teachers in our schools and social care for our most vulnerable citizens. The Assembly should not be using its legislative powers to impose requirements that cannot be funded or to impose penalties on local authorities for failing to meet targets through no fault of their own.”
