Huhne Says Cut in Reycling Target is a Kick in the Teeth for Eastleigh

11.01.57am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 22nd Dec 2004

Lib Dem led Eastleigh Borough Council has one of the best recycling rates in the country

The Government's decision to relax the targets for the recycling of household waste is a kick in the teeth for environmentally successful councils like Eastleigh, according to Hampshire MEP and Liberal Democrat Eastleigh parliamentary candidate Chris Huhne.

Mr Huhne criticised the Government's announcement as another example of "widening the goalposts so that it could claim it was scoring more goals. When Eastleigh has already shown that ambitious targets can be met, this is nothing short of political window-dressing for under-achieving Labour councils ahead of the general election. It will also allow the under-achievers to set lower council tax increases".

Eastleigh Borough has the fourth highest overall recycling rate at 31 per cent with the top rate for dry recyclables, and is seen as a model for other councils to follow. The council intends to stick to its 40 per cent target for 2005-6 even though the Government has cut the target to 30 per cent.

The Government's plans to cut recycling targets for nearly a quarter of local authorities in England have also been met with anger by Friends of the Earth. The controversial announcement this month undermines plans to improve the UK's record, currently amongst the worst in Europe.

In a pre-general election bid to fend off council tax rises, the Government has cut recycling targets for more than a hundred English local authorities to 30 per cent for 2005-6:

· 18 local authorities had a target of 40 percent recycling by 2005-6

· 67 local authorities had a target of 36 percent recycling by 2005-6

· 23 local authorities had a target of 33 percent recycling by 2005-6

All these authorities will now be allowed reduce their recycling targets for domestic waste to 30 per cent.

Cutting local authority recycling targets will seriously undermine national targets, which are designed to enable the UK to meet its obligations under the EU Landfill Directive agreed by the Government, Mr Huhne said. And failure to abide by EU rules could saddle the Government with fines of up to £180m a year from the European Commission.

To meet national targets, the Government will now have to rely heavily on high-performing local authorities like Eastleigh continuing to exceed their targets, and on more waste being produced in high-recycling areas than in other areas.

The Government suddenly seems confident about meeting the 25 per cent national recycling target for 2005, although it only expects to scrape past the 17 per cent interim target for 2003-4 when audited results are released in early January. Only 2 months ago the Government was admitting that there were "tough challenges ahead."

"The decision to reduce targets is a kick in the teeth for local authorities like Eastleigh that are meeting their targets. It also blatantly contradicts previous statements by Government Ministers that the local authority targets should be viewed as minimums" said Mr Huhne.

Meanwhile, the Government still refuses to specify what penalties will be faced by local authorities who are expected to miss their recycling targets for 2003-4. One in ten councils are still not recycling more than five per cent of their household waste. Friends of the Earth says that without serious penalties, the Government's targets will have no teeth.

Mr Huhne, who is a member of Friends of the Earth, said: "This is an astonishing turnaround by ministers and is yet another case of the environment being sacrificed for short-term political gain. No wonder the UK is near the bottom of the European recycling league. Given that the Government spent millions this autumn on an advertising campaign to promote recycling, you have to conclude that they care more about perception than reality"

Recycling is difficult unless decent local services are provided. By letting councils off the hook, the Government is failing to ensure that recycling is easy and convenient.