RECYCLING bosses have moved to dispel concerns that fly-tipping could soar and recycling banks for residents overspill as it introduces fees for businesses to dispose of glass, paper and cardboard.

North Yorkshire County Council said it had been left with little option but to charge commercial ventures for the services at its household waste recycling centres due to markets for waste materials declining, leading to merchants and re-processors charging for collecting and re-processing cardboard and glass and cutting payments for recycled paper.

Industry analysts say while the glass recycling market has proved volatile in the last year, paper recycling has increased by so much across Europe, that about eight million tonnes is collected above what is needed for paper-making by mills in Europe, while other countries have moved to halt imports of waste paper altogether.

Firms will be charged according to the amount of each material that they want to dispose of. For a standard waste bag firms will be charged 60p for cardboard, £1.10 for glass and £1.30 for paper. For between one-and-a-half and two transit van loads businesses will be charged £43.60 for cardboard, £138.30 for glass and £170.20 for paper.

The move follows a Hambleton District Council study finding the costs associated with the removal and disposal of fly-tipped materials had risen significantly for all seven district authorities in the county after the county council started charging for disposing of soil, rubble and plasterboard in 2014.

Opposition county councillors argue the rise in costs for district councils for fulfilling their fly-tipping clearance responsibilities was a direct and foreseeable consequence of the council council’s move to save up to £330,000 a year.

It also follows mounting reports of residents recycling bins being used on a regular basis by businesses, such as pubs, to cut costs of driving to recycling centres or paying to have it taken away.

Leader of the council’s Independent group, Councillor Stuart Parsons, said the council should not introduce any further costs for businesses, many of which would be struggling for some time after the Coronavirus pandemic.

He added: “This is going to have a negative effect on household waste recycling centres and rates of fly-tipping. The recycling bins that are run by district councils are going to be hit by these charges and will become more difficult to maintain.”

The authority’s executive member for business and waste management Councillor Andrew Lee said he did not believe the charges would “cause much of an issue” as the household recycling centres had traditionally dealt with small quantities of cardboard and glass from businesses.

He said: “We can’t go on absorbing those costs. People with commercial waste shouldn’t be using domestic disposal facilities. If anybody is seen doing that then people should report it to district councils who should take action against people abusing the facilities.”