The Yorkshire Post says: Don't go to waste. Urgency of environment efforts
THERESA May's desire to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years reflects the changing dynamics of environmental debate in the country as the Government looks to extend the carrier bag tax and introduce a so-called '˜latte levy' on take-away coffee cups. Sir David Attenborough's ground-breaking series, Blue Planet II, has been the catalyst for a sudden spate of policy initiatives '“ as evidenced by the proposed new rules governing the disposal of waste being unveiled.
With waste crime costing £600m year, it must not take a quarter of a century for the Government’s good intentions to materialise and two areas of policy do require further attention. First, the volume of discarded items recycled by individual households remains spasmodic – what can be done to change this? Second, convicted flytippers need to face far more draconian penalties to deter those ignoramuses who regard the great outdoors as their own personal dumping ground. It is not.