With the cost of disposing rubbish in landfill sites continuing to increase each year we must reduce, reuse and recycle more of our waste to avoid increases to local council tax.

At present, most of the waste produced is buried in massive landfill sites which are filling up quickly and are bad for the environment. More and more rubbish is being produced and if we don't do something about it we will soon run out of space and be faced with huge government fines that could run into millions of pounds.

What's wrong with burying waste in landfill sites?

• Rubbish in a landfill site produces methane gas as it rots down. This is flammable and is also a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes greatly to global warming.
• Dangerous metals and heavy chemicals that are often put into landfill sites can contaminate the ground water if they are not properly contained. This can then seep into rivers and streams causing harm to local habitats and environment.
• Each year the cost of sending waste to landfill sites increases and some of these costs then have to be passed on through council tax rises.
• The government has strict limits on the amount of waste that can be sent to landfill. If we bury more waste than we are allowed we are fined heavily (at present £150 per tonne). In the future, these costs may also have to be passed on to council tax payers.
• When valuable resources such as glass and metal are put in landfill they cannot be used again, therefore meaning that we have to use more virgin materials to make replacement products for those we have thrown away. Not only does this mean a waste of natural resources but also more energy is used to make new products than would have been if an existing item had been recycled.