The shadow communities secretary has said the Conservatives would ban councils from analysing householders’ waste without their knowledge.
Freedom of Information requests by a national newspaper reveal that 87 councils have admitted ‘secretly’ analysed thousands of households’ bins in a bid to improve recycling rates.
But Caroline Spelman, Tory communities spokesman, said her party would ban the practice.
Councils say they need to carry out the surveys covertly to get accurate information on how residents dispose of their waste. This data is then used to help drive up recycling in areas where it is needed most.
But Spelman said: ‘When people put their bins out they’re entitled to trust their rubbish is being disposed of rather than analysed.
‘We all want to reduce household waste, but this is another case of councils being coerced into using the stick rather than the carrot. We will outlaw this practice so that people can put their bins out at the end of the week with confidence.’
A spokesman for the Local Government Association insisted the surveys were part of improving waste services and cutting landfill.
‘Councils are paying ever-more to throw people’s rubbish away, and boosting recycling is essential to keeping council tax down,’ he said.
‘Helping people to understand better what they can and can’t recycle is vital, if councils are to spend less on rubbish and more on services such as caring for old people and fixing potholes.’
Elsewhere, shadow environment secretary, Nick Herbet, said a Conservative Government would focus on encouraging and rewarding’ people for recycling.
But he also said ‘we should look beyond incentives’ and share the benefits of energy-from-waste schemes with communities.
‘If we want to improve our national performance on waste, we should aim for the public, as well as businesses to benefit from the value in waste which can be unlocked,’ he said.
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