LAWR

WEIGHING TECHNOLOGY 22 Local Authority Waste & Recycling July 2015 Weight expectations There is no technological barrier to pay-as-you-throw schemes, but there's a political one. Could higher recycling targets change the landscape? he concept of pay-as- you-throw is contro- versial. Ireland is going for it, neverthless. The government has delayed things, with householders given until July 2016 to "adjust". However, they should already be receiving indica- tive bills to show the change – if any – that the transition to the new regime will have. It's a brave move, but one which has been successful in other countries across Europe. "These schemes work in many different locations," says Adam Read, practice director for waste management at consultants Ricardo-AEA. "What's more, in any society where you pay for what you use in terms of water and electricity then a bin use charge would make sense to most people, with little need for explanation." So: why the reluctance to look at a similar approach in the neighbouring countries of the UK? The concept has been considered for more than a decade. In Scotland it's been discussed many times, most recently at May's CIWM business waste strategy group. Ricardo-AEA's Jamie Pitcairn, who chairs the group, admits there is "no appetite from national or local government to take this on – it's just too political". But how about if recycling rates continue to flat line and the risk of EU fines begins to loom large? Observers suggests that the introduction of PAYT is unlikely to feature in any last-ditch attempts to drag the UK over the 50% recycling target come 2020. Beyond that, who knows? The European Commission is keen to finish its "more ambitious" circular economy package by the end of the year, and that will include higher recycling targets for member states (see page 6). If the UK's still a member, then it may well need to look at PAYT more seriously. This is country that has long been averse to the stick approach, however. "The UK is renowned for being a slow adopter in Europe," says Julian T Glasspole, Vehicle Weighing Solutions MD. "The technology is there. Bin- weighing systems have been in use across the commercial waste sector for over 10 years and have been proven to be robust, reliable and inexpensive." He even suggests that PAYT won't just save councils money – it would "make them money". There are many chipped bins in households already (some put in place before the Coalition Government's Localism Act that took away councils' powers to charge residents for the weight of rubbish they produce). These could be switched on tomorrow. Trials are however needed to clarify the potential economics of schemes in different areas. "Given that the European and US systems have been in place for significant periods of time, the test cases just aren't out there for what the cost benefit analysis would show," Ricardo-AEA's Read says. "But we could do trials, and analyse other systems to get comparative data on which to model likely benefits and performance. I don't see this as a barrier to progressing the take up of PAYT – the evidence of the schemes is significant and overwhelmingly." That isn't to say PAYT comes with no risks. VWS's Glasspole admits that possible drawbacks could include an increase in fly-tipping, whilst others point to suggestions that residents will end up creeping out in the middle of the night to load up neighbours' bins. Keith Freegard, director at Axion Consulting, isn't a fan of PAYT. In an article for LAWR last September he suggested the schemes are more punishment than encouragement. He hasn't changed his mind. "People who are inclined to recycle because they care about it will do it anyway," he says. "People who don't care will minimise their cost by putting residual waste in the recycling bin or by fly-tipping. In both cases this will reduce revenue and/or increase cost for the local authority and will end up penalising the people who recycle correctly." Weight expectations

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