Calling Time on Landfill - Time to Get Serious

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 8th Sep 2005

Milton Keynes Council has begun a long hard look at waste and how we can reduce it, handle it and dispose of it between now and 2020.

New legislation could mean hefty fines for local authorities which exceed their landfill allowances. For Milton Keynes residents that could mean increases in council tax of £100 per house unless waste is reduced and new technology is adopted for handling it.

So the Council is calling on local people to help tackle the problem. It wants to hear your views on how waste is collected, how it should be treated and where facilities should be located as the city grows.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Douglas McCall, cabinet member for Environment, stressed that the situation is serious. "The people of Milton Keynes have embraced recycling," he said, "but we all need to make an extra special effort.

"And we have some important decisions to make. The bottom line is that councils who exceed landfill limits will be punished with huge fines, so we must increase our recycling volumes and make hard decisions about where and how waste is handled."

Residents can find questionnaires on the web at www.mkweb.co.uk/waste/ or e-mail us on yourwaste@milton-keynes.gov.uk.