Skips in Parliament Square protest over landfill tax
Skips brought traffic around Parliament Square to a standstill for three hours to protest over changes to the landfill tax.
The protest follows changes to landfill tax rules which have meant the cost of disposing of certain materials has surged a staggering 2,460% overnight.
Waste operators said the “biggest pricing change since the landfill tax was introduced in 1995” could kill off some firms, lead to a possible spike in fly tipping and have far reaching implications beyond the waste industry.
The changes, announced by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) last week, surround the treatment of fines from trommels and screens.
Waste firms will now have to pay £64-a-tonne landfill tax to dispose of certain material - up an enormous 2,460% from the £2.50 tax they were paying before the shake-up (see explainer box for more).
With waste firms disposing of 1,000s of tonnes of fines a week each, operators say the increased cost of disposal could put people out of business.
Sean Heron, managing director of Worsley Plant Limited in Cheshire, told MRW: “It’s sent shock waves through the industry.
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Readers' comments (3)
Anonymous | 25 May 2012 12:31 pm
This is becasue lots of companies have been flouting the rules for too long.
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Anonymous | 26 May 2012 1:46 pm
HMRC should have aimed the abuse re non inert fines . Inert fines from construction waste aren't biodegradable and dont produce landfill gas
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Anonymous | 30 May 2012 10:40 am
Why is Powerday moaning about this. I thought they didn't landfill anything.
This will increase prices for everyone therefore it can hardly be called unfair.
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