Greater Manchester Combined Authority responds to our call to drop charity shop waste charges

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has responded to our call to drop their new waste charges for their region’s charity shops. The new charges start today (1 April) and charities were given just three weeks’ notice of the change – and without consultation. In a letter dated 26 March 2019 to us, the GMCA stated that they “do not anticipate that charging for waste disposal would be required without first having a one to one discussion with the charity to assess their waste disposal needs.”

Despite this, we believe these actions are contrary to the 2012 Controlled Waste Regulations, which stipulate charity shops should not be charged for disposal due to its classification as household waste. Local authorities are right to encourage recycling, however levying punitive charges on charity shops will make the situation worse, not better. We believe our members’ shops are part of the solution in ensuring more goods are recycled in the Greater Manchester area.

As a result of our concerns Alex Ganotis, GMCA Green City Lead Councillor, and David Taylor, GMCA Executive Director for Waste and Resources, have agreed to meet our CEO, Robin Osterley to discuss this matter further.