“Ultimately, if councils are to improve recycling rates, the new Prime Minister needs to use the Spending Review to address the £8 billion funding gap councils in England face by 2025.”
Responding to a letter published today on the Government’s waste strategy from Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Chair Clive Betts MP, to Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak MP, Cllr Martin Tett, Environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, said:
“We support the Committee’s calls for councils to have the flexibility and extra funding to ensure they meet the recycling challenges under the Waste Strategy, and for local authorities not to be forced to provide free garden waste collections or a minimum frequency of residual waste collections.
“Councils should be free to decide how to deliver their waste services locally, as various factors determine waste collection methods, such as property type and rurality.
“The onus is now on manufacturers to urgently up their game by using packaging that is fully and easily recyclable, and pay the full cost of recycling packaging.
“Ultimately, if councils are to improve recycling rates, the new Prime Minister needs to use the Spending Review to address the £8 billion funding gap councils in England face by 2025.”
Notes to editors
- Councils in England face an overall funding gap of £8 billion by 2025. The LGA’s #CouncilsCan campaign calls on the new Prime Minister to ensure the forthcoming Spending Review secures the future of vital local services and the long-term financial sustainability of councils. Visit our campaign page for more information.