Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw announced that the UK government will unveil plans on Thursday to address the country's poor recycling rates and reduce its reliance on harmful landfill sites. The government is considering implementing positive incentive schemes, including financial rewards, for residents. The upcoming Waste Strategy, to be presented by Environment Secretary David Miliband, will detail how the government intends to comply with strict EU regulations on landfill waste in England. A consultation document from last year proposed increasing household waste recycling and composting rates from 27 percent to 40 percent by 2010 and 50 percent by 2020. Recent data from the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Green Alliance reveals that Britain ranks near the bottom of Europe's recycling rankings, with only Greece and Portugal recycling less. Campaigners are urging the government to implement increasing charges for waste collection in order to promote more recycling among households. A recent consultation showed strong public support for some sort of variable charging, although there were concerns about potential increases in fly-tipping. According to Bradshaw, it is crucial for the government to boost recycling rates and decrease reliance on landfills, which can have negative environmental impacts. He emphasized the importance of reducing waste that could be recycled or used for energy, as well as preventing the release of methane gas. However, he also mentioned that collection schedules should continue to be managed by local authorities. Several councils have angered residents by changing to fortnightly waste collections. Friends of the Earth believes that businesses should have recycling targets mandated by law. Additionally, they argue that proposals to increase incinerators as a waste disposal method would be harmful, as incinerators produce more carbon dioxide than gas-fired power stations.