Charges are being introduced for some types of waste left at the household recycling centres in Lichfield and Burntwood.
Staffordshire County Council says that the cost of disposing of “non-household” waste should not be entirely footed by the authority.
The items to be charged for include:
- A bag of soil or rubble – £3
- Plasterboard – £4 per sheet or bag
- Tyres – £4 each
Cllr Gill Heath, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment and the communities, said: “Our recycling centres take domestic waste produced during normal day-to-day household life free of charge and that will continue unchanged.
“But waste generated by DIY, home improvements or extensive landscaping of gardens is not legally regarded as household rubbish and, like many other councils, we’ve decided to cover the cost of processing it.”
People will be able to pay be either debit or credit card.
Cllr Heath added: “Charging to cover the costs of disposing of such materials as soil, rubble, plasterboard and tyres will ensure that we continue to offer residents a convenient way to dispose of awkward and difficult waste.
“At the same time reducing the cost of recycling will allow us to focus on supporting the most vulnerable people in society and statutory services in Staffordshire.”
