International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

Although it may be demonstrated that DVR schemes (in the general case) can lead to
positive outcomes, the specific impact of charging on households depends very much
on the services in place and on the charging structure. The key issues are explored
further in the following sections.
8.5.2 General Themes on the Impact of Charging
8.5.2.1 General Themes: Waste Prevention
The evidence in the literature highlights varying results in different circumstances, but
this is generally supportive of the waste prevention effects associated with pay-by-use
schemes.
It is fair to say that although evidence for increased recycling is very strong, not all
studies report considerable quantities of waste ‘being prevented’; however, many
report some effect. The quality of the evidence does not always allow detailed
analysis since the scope of the investigation in the individual studies is not always
clear. A large number of the studies identified in the Defra charging review focus only
on the quantity of waste collected from households for disposal. Frequently, the
headline figure reported is the ‘reduction in the quantity of material sent to landfill or
incineration’.
Where effects on total waste quantities are observed, it is not unusual for this figure
to be in excess of 30%. In these instances, it is not always clear whether this is merely
the effect of waste moving from one place to another (for example through ‘waste
tourism’, illegal dumping, or through waste moving from domestic collection to
commercial collection services or civic amenity sites). Gaining a clear understanding
of the re-routing of waste is not straightforward.
In general terms, associations between charging and waste prevention vary most
greatly with the nature of the charging system as well as the nature of the collection
systems before and after charging commences. Price clearly plays a role. To give a
broad-brush figure, the Defra charging review reports that, depending on scheme
types and charge levels, total waste quantities can fall by 10% and sometimes more
due to pay-by-use systems.
It is often difficult to isolate the impacts of a new charging system since they are
normally accompanied by additional service changes. It is as important to appreciate
the effect of the collection system on waste quantities as it is to understand the effect
of any charge that is levied. The characteristics of garden waste generation are
particularly important in the context of pay-by-use. Garden waste tends to increase in
quantity when collected free of charge, but it can be dealt with reasonably
comfortably in the home where collections are not free (or not in place at all). As such,
the effects of charging (or not) for garden waste must be considered in the context of
the pre-existing collection arrangements. Much greater reductions tend to be
achieved where the system in existence prior to charging included free garden waste
collections, and where the charging system introduces charges for the garden waste
element.
A general shortcoming of most of the available case studies is that they tend to be
based upon ‘before and after’ assessment as though waste quantities are static.
Evidently, what ought to happen is that comparisons should be made against a
128
29/09/09