In a letter addressed to council leaders, Local Government Association's environment board urged that councils must continue to recycle despite the global economic downturn.
The call from Councillor Paul Bettison came as the association revealed that more than a quarter of local authorities are storing material because of the fall in prices and 23% are looking at alternative options to recycling.
Cllr Bettison said: "Local government is operating under challenging financial circumstances, but councils must take all reasonable action to maintain recycling services for local people. The fall in prices will not last forever, and material not put out for recycling will go to landfill sites. If people don't keep recycling it will result in increased disposal costs for council tax payers.
"It is vital that people continue to recycle as much as possible. Should councils be unable to secure buyers for recyclable material, short-term storage should be explored as the most sensible option. The Environment Agency has issued guidance on the storage of recyclable material, and is committed to responding quickly to requests for temporary increases in storage capacity for recyclable waste at sites already permitted to accept it. Should this prove insufficient, the LGA will press them to quickly permit appropriate new sites."
The full copy of the letter from Cllr Bettison to council leaders
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