Reports in today's press suggest that Downing Street is considering a radical plan to bill every household in England for the amount of rubbish they leave out for the dustman.

The new charging scheme, which would be published in a report to be published in October, would run alongside a free doorstep service to encourage people to recycle papers, cans, bottles and plastics in order to avoid paying the new bills.

Forum Response: Environmental Services Association

Dirk Hazell, chief executive of the ESA, told ePolitix.com: "If European average levels of recovery of value from waste are to be achieved, spending on the municipal waste stream needs at least to double.

"To improve recycling rates it is essential to start to apply to householders the 'polluter pays' principle which already broadly applies to business. There are different models of direct and variable charging which could be applied, including models which will not encourage flytipping."

Forum Response: Biffa Waste Services

Peter Jones, external affairs director at Biffa Waste Services, told ePolitix.com: "It is important to see the logic of charging households in the context of a much wider portfolio of policy initiatives.

"If this is their biggest shot in the locker I would surprised given that we need an integrated framework of demand and supply side instruments delivered in a cohesive framework.

"The fact that most households think they pay hundreds of pounds for rubbish collection at the moment when the reality is that it works out at £50 per year per households is part of the problem.

"Correcting that by charging according to use is clearly part of the solution but not the whole story."

Forum Response: Institute of Wastes Management

A spokeswoman for the Institute of Wastes Management told ePolitix.com: "The IWM fully supports direct charging in principle - it has been clearly demonstrated throughout Europe and the USA to be an effective instrument to achieve high levels of recycling and is also effective in promoting waste minimisation at the household level.

"The UK currently has a recycling rate of 11 per cent per year and as waste growth continues at a rate of approximately 3 per cent significant measures will need to be taken to address these issues. Currently householders pay on average £50 - £60 per year for their waste management through the council tax.

"However this is insufficient to fund the infrastructure necessary to increase recycling. Direct charging therefore provides a way of funding this infrastructure whilst offering an incentive to the householder to increase their recycling and divert as much material as possible away from final disposal.

"To ensure that any direct charging scheme is effective there needs to be an information campaign which highlights to the householder the main issues surrounding waste generation, and the need for increased recycling and reduced waste generation.

"This needs to be coupled with the implementation of an appropriate infrastructure, such as kerbside collection, or high density bring sites, to ensure that there are alternatives available to the householder so they can reduce the amount of waste they will be charged for. There also needs to be flexibility in the type of direct charging scheme that is utilised to reflect local needs and circumstances.

"Above all, direct charging is a mechanism that has achieved success internationally in terms of change householder behaviour and encouraging householders to take responsibility for the waste they generate. We would welcome any trials of direct charging in the UK."