Tories reject Lib Dem proposal to increase recycling

11.58.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th Jul 2007

Conservatives at Essex County Council have rejected a call to increase recycling targets across Essex. At a meeting of the council yesterday (17 July), the Liberal Democrats group proposed that the council sets ambitious and firm recycling targets, which the Conservatives voted against.

Cllr Ian Gale (Chelmsford West, and Lib Dem spokesman on waste management) said; "It is disappointing that the Conservatives have taken the view that they will not encourage higher recycling rates in Essex. We are told that it is because it becomes too expensive to deal with too much recycled material. However, the investment required to recycle more is much smaller than the billions of pounds that the Conservatives are looking at spending on building and operating waste disposal plants in the county.

"The Conservatives' are bidding to the Government for permission to use private sector finance over a 30 year period. We are not convinced that that plan for dealing with waste is flexible enough to deal with changing technology over the coming years.

"We are sure that the people of Essex will be as confused as we are. Namely, why the Conservatives cannot look for resources to put into increasing recycling, but are willing to commit £3.5billion towards building huge waste disposal plants."