The Government must fully fund its waste proposals, if it is serious about recycling, council heads have claimed. Speaking after the launch of David Miliband's waste strategy last week, Local Government Association chairman Lord Bruce-Lockhart said it ‘leaves unanswered, vital questions'. ‘The strategy sets out plans to almost double recycling targets which will be impossible to achieve without proper government investment.' And Paul O'Brien, chief executive of the Association of Public Sector Excellence (APSE), agreed there would need to be a boost in council funding to change the way waste was collected. ‘We also need councils to use their collective muscle to minimise waste produced by the retail land construction sector to show residents that everyone has a responsibility to minimise waste and increase recycling.' Chair of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), Lee Marshall, said: ‘While the new strategy contains some good stuff, it is also weaker for the bits that have been left out.' He added: ‘A first read throws up questions about whether the scheme, as outlined, will be worth the effort. The strategy is also thin on how we are going to fund the new infrastructure to deliver its aims.' Launching his strategy last week, David Miliband said the strategy ‘empowers local authorities to make the right decisions for local circumstances, in consultation with their local populations.'
