TaxPayers' Alliance Criticizes Complex Waste Systems

A new report from the TaxPayers' Alliance highlights significant disparities in waste collection systems across UK councils, with some requiring residents to sort their rubbish into as many as ten different bins while others only ask for two. Blaenau Gwent, Cotswold, and Merthyr Tydfil are among the councils with the highest number of containers, while Gosport has the fewest. The report criticizes councils for passing the burden of waste separation onto taxpayers, despite rising council tax rates, which increased by an average of £106 for the typical band D property in 2024-25. The Environment Act 2021 mandates that councils collect recyclable waste separately, but proposed changes could allow for a simpler three-bin system. There is growing pressure on councils to simplify waste collection as residents struggle with complex sorting requirements. The TaxPayers' Alliance is calling for immediate reform to alleviate this burden on households.