SOUTH West Wiltshire Green Party is calling for Wiltshire Council to come clean about the true environmental and financial costs of waste disposal in the county.

It says the council’s own figures show that over £31 million will be spent this year to collect and dispose of waste, amounting to £65 per council tax payer.

Spokesperson Margaret Cavanna, said: “Hills Waste Solutions, who have a lucrative long-term contract with the council, receive over £2 million a month to deal with our rubbish.

“Yet only 24 per cent of it was recycled last year. This resulted in further cost to the council in the form of a £3 million landfill tax bill.”

The local party is questioning why more than 124,000 tonnes of waste from Wiltshire households is taken to landfill or burned.

Ms Cavanna added: “Why does the council allow the waste contractors to process our waste so inefficiently? Why are they allowing Hills to build an incinerator in Westbury that may not be needed with more visionary management of waste?”

The party is calling on people to come and help decide on priorities for action at an open meeting on Saturday, January 6 at The Laverton, Westbury, from 11am to 12.30pm.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for waste services, said: “Some of the figures reported are misleading.

“We have diverted almost 80 per cent of all the waste we managed from landfill. This included recycling and composting almost 44 per cent of the household waste we collected, together with the use of other waste treatment technologies which either produce a fuel or generate electricity.

“It is always challenging in rural counties, but we are doing everything we can to ensure we recycle as much as we can within the financial constraints we face. The new contracts we have will see waste and recycling services improving further next year.”