The UK Government must resist ‘lobbying’ from the waste packaging industry to take control of household waste and recycling services, councils have warned.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, has shared its concerns that the waste packaging industry is lobbying government to take control of doorstep waste services.
“Decisions about collections and services must remain in the hands of communities, not handed over to producers whose priority will inevitably be profit,” Cllr Arooj Shah, environment spokesperson for the LGA, said.
As part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), businesses must register with the scheme, report data about the packaging they supply or import, and cover the costs of managing household packaging waste.
The LGA said it supports this principle; however, it has warned that industry groups have argued that, because they will have to contribute to waste and recycling costs, they should take on a wide range of powers.
The LGA said this includes what local waste services should look like and how much money is spent in each area, and industry groups are calling for funding to be withheld from councils that don’t comply with ‘industry-preferred models’.
Cllr Arooj Shah continued: “Councils are proud to deliver waste and recycling services that are trusted by the public and tailored to the needs of local areas.
“We support the ambition of the EPR reforms, but they must be built on partnership and respect for what local government delivers every day.”