Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 12, 2008 10:23:08 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Britons: New Trash Laws Are Rubbish

Posted Jun 27, 08 4:32 AM CDT in Science & Health,  World 

(Newser) – In the midst of a garbage overload, the UK is cracking down on trash with strict new rules, sparking a backlash among Britons, the New York Times reports. Many areas now pick up trash only biweekly, and accept only regulation amounts. Some reject recycling bins tainted with garbage. In response, some Britons are yelling at trash collectors, stealing neighbors’ bins—and burning their rubbish.

At collection time, “It’s like something out of Mad Max," one man told the Guardian. “Every man for himself, scavenging for an extra bin.” But authorities say such measures are necessary as landfills overflow. “You start off by asking them ‘please,’” said one official. “But if they don’t respond, you have to move along the scale that has carrots on one end and sticks on the other.”

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Houston Too Ornery to Recycle

    Jul 29, 08 1:36 PM CDT
    Houston Too Ornery to Recycle While other Texas cities are working hard to separate their garbage, Houston still considers recycling to be sissy stuff, earning the oil town the worst recycling rate of 30 top US cities. Houston recycles just 2.6% of its trash, the New York Times reports, while San Francisco is at 69%, and New York 34%, by comparison. Environmental advocates are begging for reforms, but area landfills are so cheap there’s little enthusiasm for change. More »

  • Recycled 'E-Waste' Can Be Toxic

    Jul 7, 08 5:59 AM CDT
    Recycled 'E-Waste' Can Be Toxic Recycling old computers, cell phones, and TVs may sound like a good idea—but be sure you know the destination before you dump such material, USA Today advises. While such “e-waste” recycling programs are springing up everywhere these days, some pose a threat. Often, the materials end up in developing nations, spreading toxins through the air and water. More »

  • Trash Fires Blaze Across Naples

    May 19, 08 11:53 AM CDT
    Trash Fires Blaze Across Naples The prolonged garbage impasse in Naples has taken a new turn as angry residents began setting fire to thousands of tons of waste littering city streets. Firefighters were at work all night battling at least 90 burns across the city, AFP reports. “Every six to seven minutes, one of our emergency vehicles sets off with its sirens screaming,” said a local commander; new Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is set to unveil new measures to deal with the crisis Wednesday. More »

  • Trash Fouls World's Beaches

    Apr 15, 08 8:27 PM CDT
    Trash Fouls World's Beaches One day of beach cleanup last year netted 6 million pounds of trash worldwide, an environmental group says. Volunteers in 76 countries collected an average of 182 pounds per mile of beach; the US weighed in at 390 pounds per mile, the AP reports. "We're the bad guys," said the head of the Ocean Conservancy. "Trash doesn't fall from the sky." More »

  • Got Junk? Call These Guys

    Mar 26, 08 12:56 PM CDT
    Got Junk? Call These Guys A shed full of roller skates, 400 wedding dresses, 18,000 sardine cans, a diffused bomb—1-800-GOT-JUNK? hauls away more than just trash in its custom-built dump trucks. The largest junk-hauling company in North America turned clutter into revenues of $150 million this year, says NPR, while professionalizing the industry and banishing the stereotypical image of a sloppy junk hauler in baggy pants. More »

In one town, homeowners must stuff two weeks of trash into single wheelie bins.   (Shutterstock)
Bins sit in a line in Liverpool.   (Shutterstock)
Britons are being pushed to recycle more.   (Shutterstock)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 4)

Tags

Great Britain  • environment  • recycling  • garbage  • trash


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »