Sandwell Council urged to scrap £35-a-year green waste collection charges
Sandwell Tories have launched a campaign urging the Labour-controlled council to scrap new charges for garden waste collections.
The authority has signed off on a scheme that will see residents charged £35 a year from 2023 for green waste to be collected.
Bosses say the move will help plug a budget black hole, while also making the service more efficient and reduce carbon emissions.
But opposition Conservative councillors have branded it a "green tax" that will pile on the stress for residents struggling with the cost of living crisis. It could also lead to a reduction in recycling, they claimed.
Tory group leader, Councillor David Fisher, said the group was launching the #AxetheTax campaign in a bid to get the decision overturned.
He said: "Sandwell Labour are putting more pressure on households by introducing a £35 per year charge for garden waste collections.
"This 'green tax' will add further stress and anxiety to those already struggling to pay bills and put food on their table. We may also see people not recycling their garden waste which is a step in the wrong direction.
"We are launching the #AxetheTax campaign to ensure residents have a chance to support our efforts in holding Labour accountable for their actions. We will do everything in our power to ensure this is overturned."
Calling on the authority to reconsider the decision, he added: "A family’s financial circumstances should not be a barrier to them trying to help the planet by recycling.
"As a borough we should actively encourage recycling as we strive for a greener Sandwell. This policy is doing exactly the opposite of that."
Councillor Zahoor Ahmed, cabinet member for environment services, said introducing charges would "make the service more efficient and reduce carbon emissions".
The free disposal of garden waste will continue to be available at the household waste recycling centre in Oldbury.
