WasteCare has warned that the upcoming increase on landfill tax increases the tax burden on waste producers to over £1.6 billion a year.

From April 1, landfill tax will rise from £72 per tonne to £80 per tonne. Currently 71% of all commercial waste is recycled or recovered, however more than 200 million tonnes of commercial waste is still going to landfill. Add to this the cost of disposal and there is a staggering £2.5 billion to be paid by businesses and organisations in Britain in 2014/15.

The recent budget included plans to continue increasing the landfill tax beyond the current timescale up to 2020. From 2015 the increases will be in line with RPI. However, the government is looking to set the tax on different waste streams according to their impact on the environment.