This is the question that many cash-strapped councils are asking themselves as they decide how to increase recycling rates and avoid heavy landfill tax levies.

Highland Council are one such local authority who are considering this move as they are committed to reducing rubbish over the next year. In September 2009 Highland Council stated that moving rubbish from Skye to a landfill site near Falkirk had resulted in one of the costliest disposals in Scotland.

They have made a “strong recommendation” to the Scottish Government that fixed penalty notices should be extended to cover recycling.

The Scottish Government has recently been consulting on a Zero Waste Plan and it will be interesting to see whether Highland Council gets the go ahead for this scheme.