Recycling
has become an important part of central and local governments' response to halting
climate change and reducing our carbon footprints. The new coalition government
has suggested that to raise the UK's recycling rate (currently
about 34% compared with, for example, Germany's 64%) they will be
adopting a 'carrot' rather than 'stick' approach. Instead of penalising
households who throw too much away, we could be persuaded to improve our recycling
rates with the inducement of M&S vouchers, the bigger our recycling boxes, the
more vouchers we would get. Notwithstanding the assumption that we might all
like M&S vouchers, I have serious misgivings about an approach which seems
to encourage yet more consumption and more waste, so I spoke to Roger Garbett, Environmental
Services Manager at the District Council for his reaction. (...read more)
