CRN welcomes landfill tax credit review

The Community Recycling Network welcomes Treasury moves to review the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme that were announced this week.

Andy Moore, the CRN’s coordinator, the consultation process was long over-due.

“The community recycling sector has seen the need for the reform of the LTCS for some time now.

“We agreed with Michael Meacher when he told the environment select committee that one of the inbuilt flaws of the existing scheme is that the last thing landfill operators want to see is their money used to promote an activity with which they are in competition, ie recycling.

“We are convinced that the current private scheme, however reformed, can never work to deliver what is needed in terms of recycling and material recovery. The only answer is that it must be taken into publicly accountable hands and administered by an appropriate agency or contractor.

“It’s time to draw a line under the private LTCS. It’s time to make this financial instrument publicly accountable and to put it into a form which makes strategic sense.”

Notes for editors:

The Community Recycling Network is a national umbrella organisation representing over 300 community recycling and waste management projects throughout the UK.

The CRN’s aim is to promote community recycling as a practical and effective way of tackling the UK’s growing waste problem. The members work together to promote sustainable waste management and have achieved some of the highest recycling rates in the UK.

The Community Recycling Network is based at Trelawny House, Surrey Street, Bristol, BS2 8PS, tel: (0117) 942 0142. The CRN website is www.crn.org.uk.

For further information:

Andy Nelmes, CRN Press Officer, (0117) 907 4368, andyn@crn.org.uk

, (0117) 907 4368, andyn@crn.org.uk