Communities
secretary Eric Pickles 30 September 2011
The UK government is to make £250 million available to encourage local authorities to return to weekly refuse collections.
Speaking to BBC News, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, said that the government is to make the funds available to help English councils keep or restore weekly bin collections.
According to Pickles, the funding is additional central government funding, freed up by moves to cut Whitehall waste and inefficiency.
"Weekly rubbish collections are the most visible of all frontline services, and I believe every household in England has a basic right to have their rubbish collected every week. Our fund will help councils deliver weekly collections and, in the process, make it easier for families to go green and improve the local environment," said Pickles.
Under the new scheme, councils which commit to retain or reinstate weekly collections of waste for at least 5 years can use the money to improve their rubbish collection service.
Additionaly, the government claims that the scheme will support reward schemes like Recyclebank in Windsor and Maidenhead, which combines weekly collection with rewards such as supermarket vouchers, and has increased the amount recycled by 35% since its launch.
Mechanical Biological Treatment facilities that separate out recyclable materials from residual waste could stand to benefit from the scheme. In the build up to the Conservative Party conference, the senior partner in the coalition government has said these facilities can help negate the need for multiple bin systems and 'bin blight'.
Pickles told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "most people would prefer to see a weekly collection", but was keen to point out that individual local authorities would be free to decide on their waste collection services themselves.
According to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which is funding the scheme, no other budgets will be cut to pay for it.
Reaction
Recycling and waste management company Biffa has welcomed the government's announcement that councils should be allowed to choose between weekly and fortnightly bin collections.
Commenting on the issue, Biffa chief executive Ian Wakelin said: "We welcome the government's commitment to improving recycling and to encouraging the innovation and technology to help us all recycle more".
"What is vital is that we make it as easy as possible for people to recycle. We know that often means putting all 'dry' recyclables, like cans, paper, plastics and glass, into one 'commingled' bin, which is what Biffa uses for many of its household collections," he added.
Wakelin also welcomed the idea that householders should be rewarded for recycling rather than punished for not recycling.
However, Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner, Julian Kirby told the BBC: "All the evidence is that where you have fortnightly waste collections, you have higher levels of recycling than if you have a weekly collection. That appears to be because people tend to put recyclables into the non-recycling stream, if it's collected every week."
One local authority, Winchester City Council has The City Council its current alternate bin collection method has proved successful, and that any changes to the contract are likely to prove expensive and could have a detrimental affect on its recycling rates.
"We will be looking at the announcement in more detail once the new contract is established but we do not have any immediate plans to reinstate weekly collections. Any future decision would have to be agreed with our partners at East Hampshire, be cost effective and maintain or improve future recycling rates," said the council in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) Chairman and Lib Dem peer Lord Redesdale commented that if weekly bin collections means that the DCLG is leading the charge for source segregated organic collection, it would be great news.
"This money must only be available to councils who make the best use of the resources which we throw away. That means weekly collection of food waste, segregated from dry recyclable material such as plastic, glass and metal," he said.
Redesdale added that the Waste Review has already recognised anaerobic digestion as offering the greatest environmental benefits from food waste, and that this fund could be a massive boost to the AD industry if it encourages councils to collect food waste separately.
"It is right to give local authorities the option to choose between weekly or fortnightly bin collections because different systems work in different areas," concluded Wakelin.
The UK government is to make £250 million available to encourage local authorities to return to weekly refuse collections.
Speaking to BBC News, the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, said that the government is to make the funds available to help English councils keep or restore weekly bin collections.
According to Pickles, the funding is additional central government funding, freed up by moves to cut Whitehall waste and inefficiency.
"Weekly rubbish collections are the most visible of all frontline services, and I believe every household in England has a basic right to have their rubbish collected every week. Our fund will help councils deliver weekly collections and, in the process, make it easier for families to go green and improve the local environment," said Pickles.
Under the new scheme, councils which commit to retain or reinstate weekly collections of waste for at least 5 years can use the money to improve their rubbish collection service.
Additionaly, the government claims that the scheme will support reward schemes like Recyclebank in Windsor and Maidenhead, which combines weekly collection with rewards such as supermarket vouchers, and has increased the amount recycled by 35% since its launch.
Mechanical Biological Treatment facilities that separate out recyclable materials from residual waste could stand to benefit from the scheme. In the build up to the Conservative Party conference, the senior partner in the coalition government has said these facilities can help negate the need for multiple bin systems and 'bin blight'.
Pickles told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "most people would prefer to see a weekly collection", but was keen to point out that individual local authorities would be free to decide on their waste collection services themselves.
According to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which is funding the scheme, no other budgets will be cut to pay for it.
ReactionRecycling and waste management company Biffa has welcomed the government's announcement that councils should be allowed to choose between weekly and fortnightly bin collections.
Commenting on the issue, Biffa chief executive Ian Wakelin said: "We welcome the government's commitment to improving recycling and to encouraging the innovation and technology to help us all recycle more".
"What is vital is that we make it as easy as possible for people to recycle. We know that often means putting all 'dry' recyclables, like cans, paper, plastics and glass, into one 'commingled' bin, which is what Biffa uses for many of its household collections," he added.
Wakelin also welcomed the idea that householders should be rewarded for recycling rather than punished for not recycling.
However, Friends of the Earth's waste campaigner, Julian Kirby told the BBC: "All the evidence is that where you have fortnightly waste collections, you have higher levels of recycling than if you have a weekly collection. That appears to be because people tend to put recyclables into the non-recycling stream, if it's collected every week."
One local authority, Winchester City Council has The City Council its current alternate bin collection method has proved successful, and that any changes to the contract are likely to prove expensive and could have a detrimental affect on its recycling rates.
"We will be looking at the announcement in more detail once the new contract is established but we do not have any immediate plans to reinstate weekly collections. Any future decision would have to be agreed with our partners at East Hampshire, be cost effective and maintain or improve future recycling rates," said the council in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) Chairman and Lib Dem peer Lord Redesdale commented that if weekly bin collections means that the DCLG is leading the charge for source segregated organic collection, it would be great news.
"This money must only be available to councils who make the best use of the resources which we throw away. That means weekly collection of food waste, segregated from dry recyclable material such as plastic, glass and metal," he said.
Redesdale added that the Waste Review has already recognised anaerobic digestion as offering the greatest environmental benefits from food waste, and that this fund could be a massive boost to the AD industry if it encourages councils to collect food waste separately.
"It is right to give local authorities the option to choose between weekly or fortnightly bin collections because different systems work in different areas," concluded Wakelin.
Also Read
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The forthcoming review of waste policy in the UK by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) is likely to include incentives for local authorities to return to weekly refuse collections.
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Holistic Approach Required Following Waste Review
Following the Waste Review in England Maria Vinogradova examines the implications and opportunities for local authorities and waste management companies.
Weekly Food Waste Collections Piloted as Edinburgh Aims for 75% Recycling
A weekly food waste recycling scheme for Edinburgh is being trialled across 20,000 households in the city.
The forthcoming review of waste policy in the UK by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) is likely to include incentives for local authorities to return to weekly refuse collections.
Curbing Criticism of Kerbside Collections
Kerbside recycling rates have been steadily rising in the UK for a number of years now, but some local authorities have had considerably more success than others. Ben Messenger looks at what other nations can learn from the country?s collection schemes following a report looking at local authority services.
Holistic Approach Required Following Waste Review
Following the Waste Review in England Maria Vinogradova examines the implications and opportunities for local authorities and waste management companies.
Weekly Food Waste Collections Piloted as Edinburgh Aims for 75% Recycling
A weekly food waste recycling scheme for Edinburgh is being trialled across 20,000 households in the city.
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