West Berkshire rejects recycling 'bin brother'

16 March 2010

WEST Berkshire Council has not put chips in bins and does not plan to do so, councillors have confirmed.

Dustbin microchips can be used to monitor waste and recycling levels. They have been introduced by 68 out of 435 councils across the UK, including by neighbouring Wiltshire Council.

However, West Berkshire Council leader Graham Jones said: “West Berkshire Council does not have chips in bins and has no intention of introducing them.”

Big Brother Watch claims there has been a 62pc increase in the number of councils using the chips in the last year.

In a report, it claims that local authorities are “quietly installing the infrastructure with which to monitor our waste habits”.

Mr Jones said none of the 45,000 green waste bins and recycling trays that had been distributed to around 60,000 properties under the 2008 contract with Veolia in West Berkshire included the chips.

“Our approach has been to provide a comprehensive range of recycling opportunities at the kerbside. It is about encouragement and not enforcement,” he stressed.

Recycling rates in the area had doubled over the past two years and now averaged 40pc, he added.

Wiltshire Council said wheelie bins in the Kennet area contained the chips but there were no immediate plans to activate them.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council said it did not plan to introduce the chips in North Hampshire dustbins.

This is despite the fact that it is not meeting government recycling targets.

The council’s cabinet member for the environment and climate change, Cllr Elaine Still, said: “We are not planning to introduce bin chipping in our grey waste bin or green recycling bins. Instead we are working with our residents to give them more opportunities to recycle and educate them on what can and can’t be recycled.”

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