‘Pay-as-you-throw’ could be coming soon

• Mar. 11 by Laura Hogan (1)

The campaign Big Brother Watch has accused the government of secretly preparing to impose ‘pay-as-you-throw’ taxes by using microship technology in wheelie bins.

The official reason for the microchip scheme is to show which house each wheelie bin belongs to, presumably in order to reduce wheelie bin theft.

However, privacy campaigners and members of the public are becoming concerned that the Government will use the microchips as a way of spying on waste consumption and recycling habits; resulting in ‘pay-as-you-throw’ taxes.

In the past year, the number of Councils using microchip technology in Wheelie Bins has increased to 68.

Big Brother Watch

Privacy campaigners, ‘Big Brother Watch’ have put together a report entitled ‘Lifting the Lid’, which shows which councils have introduced the scheme; why and the results.

Speaking of the microchip scheme, Dylan Sharpe, Campaign Director of Big Brother Watch has said,

‘In the past 12 months we have witnessed 26 councils install microchips in their residents’ bins, yet no council has dared to start charging for the amount we throw away.

With central government and the EU putting councils under pressure to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, it is only a matter of time before the majority of bins are microchipped and ‘pay-as-you-throw’ schemes become commonplace’.

Birmingham

The nearest area to Birmingham that is part of the microchip scheme is Tamworth, as Birmingham doesn’t even use wheelie bins.

When asked if Birmingham would ever use wheelie bins and if they would be chipped; Birmingham City Council refused to comment.