Authorities Swamped With Fee Exemption Requests

02-08-2010 13:33 Local authorities across the country are being inundated with companies applying for exemptions from a new municipal waste recycling fee that was introduced at the start of the year. C

Since January, a new law has allowed every company the option of using municipal recycling centers, though this is not compulsory. In return, they must pay a fee, which is mandatory whether they use the centers or not. The fee varies from a few hundred DKK for the smallest companies to five-digit figures for the largest. In special circumstances an exemption from the fee is permitted.

According to local governments, more and more companies are now applying for the exemption, which is bogging them down in paperwork. In Odense alone, the authorities have already responded to 797 firms, while 3,402 are still waiting for a review of their case.

“The law was made too quickly and clumsily, so it is impossible to manage properly” said Martin Damm, Chairman of the Local Government Engineering and Environment Committee. “It costs time and money. But it also leads to an unprofessional service by the municipalities, and that is unacceptable”