A WEST FIFE businessman said changes to business recycling rates could force him to axe staff.

Joe Reed has been running Joe’s Garden Services for the last 11 years but he said a decision to implement a new charging system will affect all aspects of his work.

From next year, businesses wanting to dump loads at council recycling facilities will be subject to a cashless payment system where fees will be determined by vehicle size, what is being disposed and how much of it is being dumped.

“A lot of the businesses are panicking about it,” said Joe. “They are all worried about what they are going to do.

"If I am doing a garden clearance, we are up the tip four or five times. We would need to add £200 to our bill and then you get the older clients who we try and keep things within their budget.

“At the moment, they send us a six-monthly bill which is £450 – this went up as last year it was £300. If you use the landfill, you have to buy the sacks which are £3 each. So if you are doing something big, it might be three sacks and that is quite expensive too. They are making money.

“There is going to be a lot of fly-tipping because of it. They sent us a leaflet saying there are private ones we could go to but the closest to Dunfermline is Lochgelly. It is not a viable way of doing it.

“I am quite lucky because I have been going for a lot of years and I have got a good set-up but even so, with that coming in, I know I will have to lay off boys. Other gardening companies are going to be the same.

“This is not manageable. There is no way that we can actually put these costs onto the clients. It will definitely put people out of business. Every gardener I speak to is worried.”

Councillor Ross Vettraino, convener of the environment, protective services and community safety committee, said accepting commercial waste at the council’s household waste recycling centres was currently costing the council tax payers in Fife in excess of £1.5 million a year.

“Because of the costs of doing so, neighbouring local authorities, including Edinburgh and Dundee, no longer accept commercial waste, but Fife Council has chosen to continue to assist local businesses to dispose of the waste that they generate,” he said. 

“If the service is to be continued, however, full costs must be recovered.

“By failing to recover full costs, the council is effectively subsidising some businesses and is distorting competition by enabling those businesses to lower their customer charges, compared with businesses that pay full commercial waste disposal costs. 

“The charges are actual costs and do not include any element of profit. It should also be noted that there are over a dozen private waste disposal companies operating in Fife, so those who produce commercial waste can ‘shop around’.”