The government wants to introduce a pay as you use scheme for household waste. {I've talked about this proposal before over here. Comments too.}
I really don't see why the central government has to intervene so directly in this. By mandating the method by which household waste is to be reduced, the government has eliminated the possibility that different regions might find different ways to tackle this problem.
There is also something to Eamon Gilmore's point about people without cars not being able to recycle glass. Walking with bags of bottles and jars is not a feasible option for many people, particularly the old. No, I'm not turning into a socialist, but in this case you have environmentalists winning battles that ultimately will be at the expense of working class families.
Here's a suggestion - waive the costs of waste removal for people who are willing to live near landfills or incinerators. That might make it easier to get approval for such projects. At the moment there is no incentive for anyone to favor such a development.
