The UK government is preparing to announce measures to improve recycling rates and reduce reliance on landfill sites, according to Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw. The government is considering various incentive schemes for residents, including financial rewards. The Waste Strategy, to be presented by Environment Secretary David Miliband, aims to comply with EU regulations on reducing landfill waste in England. A government report from last year suggested increasing household recycling and composting rates from 27% to 40% by 2010 and 50% by 2020. Britain currently ranks low in Europe for recycling, with only Greece and Portugal recycling less, based on data from the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Green Alliance. Campaigners are urging the government to implement increasing charges for rubbish collection in order to encourage more recycling among householders. A recent consultation showed strong public support for variable charging, but there are concerns about potential rise in fly-tipping due to extra costs. According to Bradshaw, it is crucial for the government to boost recycling rates and reduce reliance on landfills, which are harmful to the environment. He emphasized the importance of recycling materials and using them to generate energy, rather than letting them go to waste and produce harmful methane gas. Despite this, he believes that the responsibility of collection times should still lie with local authorities. Some councils have angered residents by changing to fortnightly waste collections. Friends of the Earth called for mandatory recycling goals for businesses and criticized government plans to build more incinerators, stating that this would increase carbon dioxide emissions.