More than half of councils now collect domestic rubbish once a fortnight
The government has admitted it cannot force councils in England to provide weekly bin collections.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles had hoped to include the measure in a new waste strategy but it was watered down following a row with officials at Defra, the BBC understands.
The strategy says collections should happen "more frequently" but it is up to councils to offer "local solutions".
Labour branded the move a "personal humiliation" for Mr Pickles.
But Mr Pickles insisted the strategy would provide better value for money for householders.
He said: "Families pay �120 a month in council tax. Both Whitehall and the town hall need to raise their game to deliver more frequent and better rubbish and recycling collections in return."
Downing Street said the government understood that "people have a reasonable expectation that their bins are collected on a weekly basis" but although ministers "had a view" about the frequency of collections "ultimately councils are accountable to their local electorate".
A return to weekly bin collections has been a popular Tory theme.
But ministers now seem to accept they can't make councils do it.
Over half of local authorities in England now run some form of fortnightly scheme.
Most have invested heavily and say they won't go back.
Behind the scenes there has been a battle going on in recent days.
I understand Eric Pickles was pushing until the last minute to get a stronger commitment on weekly collections into the waste review.
But it contains no firm measures or incentives for councils to act.
Ministers say the objective remains but it's not clear how or whether it can be achieved.
The BBC understands that once councils told ministers the �100m a year cost of reintroducing weekly bin collections would have to be met by central government, the idea was effectively shelved.
More than half of councils now collect domestic rubbish once a fortnight. Some authorities say weekly collections work best, while others argue that the "alternate weekly collection" of different types of waste is the most effective way to increase recycling.
In 2008, Mr Pickles told the Conservative party conference that weekly collections would "be back" if the party gained power and that a "decent" refuse service was "vital" to help "protect the local environment and public health". As recently as January, he said the issue needed to be sorted out.
But outlining the government's new approach on Tuesday, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said the public had a "reasonable expectation" of a weekly service and she would be working with local authorities to "increase the frequency and quality" of rubbish collections.
She added: "Waste services are a matter for local authorities to develop 'fit for purpose' local solutions. However, the government believes that better procurement and joint working can improve the efficiency of collections while improving the frontline service for the public in an affordable and practical manner."
The best and worst recyclers in England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Area | Recycled |
| Source: Defra - 2009/10 figures | ||
| 1. | South West | 47.5% |
| 2. | South East | 45.5% |
| 3. | London | 44.6% |
| 4. | Eastern | 41.1% |
| 5. | West Midlands | 40.1% |
| 6. | East Midlands | 38.2% |
| 7. | Yorks and Humber | 38.1% |
| 8. | North West | 35.7% |
| 9. | North East | 32.2% |
One council leader said it should be up to local authorities to decide how often rubbish was collected.
"At the end of the day without question it is better done on a local basis because each local area has a different set of circumstances," said Robert Nye, leader of Horsham District Council. "And there would not be a one-fits-all model."
But shadow communities secretary Caroline Flint, for Labour, said: "This latest evidence of the government in chaos is a personal humiliation for Eric Pickles.
"He has spent years leading people on with overblown promises to restore weekly bin collections, despite Labour's warnings that he would never be able to deliver.
"The local government secretary should learn the lesson that chasing headlines is no substitute for properly worked out policies to make communities cleaner, greener and better places to live."
One environmental pressure group said weekly collections resulted in less recycling and the government should focus instead on halving black bag waste over the next ten years.
Fly tipping"Ministers must stop trying to bully councils into running weekly bin rounds," Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner Julian Kirby said. "Fortnightly collections are hygienic and popular, provided they are accompanied by decent recycling and weekly food waste pick-ups too."
Best and worst European recyclers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Country | Recycled or composted |
| Source: Eurostat - 2009 figs. No results for Bulgaria | ||
| Best | ||
| 1 | Austria | 70% |
| 2. | Germany | 66% |
| =3. | Belgium | 60% |
| =3. | Netherlands | 60% |
| 5. | Switzerland | 51% |
| UK position | ||
| 11. | UK | 40% |
| Worst | ||
| 25. | Latvia | 7% |
| =26. | Czech Republic | 4% |
| =26. | Lithuania | 4% |
| =26. | Malta | 4% |
| 29. | Romania | 1% |
As part of the new strategy, councils' rights to fine people up to �1,000 for minor domestic waste offences are also to be abolished. But there will be tougher sanctions for the most serious rule-breakers, such as fly-tippers.
Householders currently can be punished for such actions as leaving dustbin lids open and using the wrong bin.
At the moment, people can be given a fixed-penalty notice of up to �110 if they repeatedly break the rules governing rubbish collections, such as recycling incorrectly or leaving waste out on the wrong day. A failure to pay can leave households facing court fines of �1,000.
The government is to remove most of those powers from English councils following a promise last year to scrap them. Town halls will be able to issue fixed-penalty notices of between �75 and �100 only to people who allow rubbish to pile up, or those who fly-tip.
Ms Spelman said the emphasis must be on ideas to help England be smarter with its waste.
Proposals to be put out for consultation would see ministers work with the hospitality industry to try to reduce food waste and with the toy industry to cut excessive packaging. Tougher targets for recycling aluminium will be proposed and there will be a ban on wood going to landfill from homes or industry - with it being burned for energy instead.
Ministers have pledged to give more powers to local councils as part of their localism agenda but many council leaders have warned that substantial cuts in central funding over the next four years is forcing them to cut back on services.
Chat about this story w/ TalkitaSource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-politics-13754206
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