PROPOSALS for householders to be charged according to the amount of waste they produce have been rejected by councils across south Essex.

The scheme, suggested by the Local Government Association, would offer council tax payers a discount on their bills is they were among the most avid recyclers.

The association has suggested the scheme could be implemented in a number of different ways, including the installation of microchips in wheelie-bins.

These would allow dustmen to log the amount of waste each household left out.

In Southend, Ian Robertson, Tory borough councillor responsible for waste, said: "This is something I would approach with extreme caution.

"It is a possibility, but my worry is we would be gaining in one way, but it could also lead to a lot more flytipping."

Michael Starke, senior Rochford district councillor responsible for the environment and also a Conservative, was no more enthusiastic.

He said: "I do not think there is a place for any schemes of this sort in the Rochford district.

"We believe in education and persuasion as the best ways of encouraging people to recycle and we shall be continuing to go along these lines."

Sandra Hillier, Basildon Council's Tory vice-chairman and a member of its environmental scrutiny committee, was even stronger in her opposition to the proposal.

She said: "We will definitely not be charging for waste collection unless we are forced to.

"We are beating Government targets for recycling in Basildon anyway. We believe people are more likely to do something voluntarily than if you force them."