With the UK still not hitting EU recycling targets many people are starting to ask why we are nearly ten years behind the rest of Europe when it comes to recycling.

In the 1990’s the UK was only recycling less than 5% of all waste that was created whilst other countries in Europe like Germany were already recycling up to as much as 50% of their citizen’s waste.

The government is now being blamed for holding back the recycling rates in the UK because it took them so long to raise landfill fees. Back in 1996 businesses only had to pay £7 per tonne to dump rubbish in landfills compared to today’s rate which is almost £50 per tonne. With today’s charge being applied to every council in the UK it has made people recycle more even if it comes 10 years late.

People are also blaming the government for not creating more national recycling regulations as instead most of the responsibility has been put on the shoulder of local councils.