With landfill tax on the rise, North London Waste Authority is urging people in Barnet to recycle more and save money.

From April 1 the tax on sending a tonne of waste to landfill went up from £64 to £72.

As a result waste authority , which disposes of waste produced by the 1.7 million residents of north London, wants people to increase the amount of refuse they recycle from 30 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020.

The waste authority says it currently costs north London taxpayers approximately £120 to dispose of a tonne of waste in a landfill site, including transport and treatment, compared to around £40 a tonne to recycle it.

Councillor Clyde Loakes, chair of NLWA, said: “North London produces 850,000 tonnes of waste every year. At current costs and recycling rates, in 2013/14 we’ll be paying around £13.1 million in landfill tax alone, that’s around £1.5 million more than last year.

“By increasing the amount we recycle, and reducing the amount we send to landfill, we can save money, which councils can then spend on other vital public services.

“It’s really important that local people help us do this by putting more into their recycling bins and less into their rubbish bins.”