10 May 2024: The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) joined local authorities in arguing against a fortnightly cap. There is also concern about tight timescales for introducing new collection systems.

The Government confirmed that there will always be a minimum of three bins in household waste collection, for dry recycling, organic waste, and residual wastes. As expected, councils will be able collect any combination of dry recyclates, in one bin, without the need for a written assessment.

Local authorities will be allowed to co-collect food and garden waste should they want to.

Most businesses will need to implement new recycling practices by March 2025. New households collection rules will, including weekly food waste collections will start in 2026. Many respondents to a consultation on the reforms were dismayed that statutory guidance won’t be published after the simpler recycling regulations have introduced later this year.

The CIWM is calling for the two-week cap for residual waste collection to be reversed and for local authorities give the option of three-weekly residual waste collection. It said that 80% of respondents to the consultation disagreed with a fortnightly residual cap said the that Government “simply has not listened”.

Lee Marshall, CIWM’s director of innovation and technical services, said: “The stance on restricting options of residual frequency is baffling given the overwhelming evidence that exists on how restricting residual reduces costs and increases recycling. That is a missed opportunity to give local authorities a real behaviour change tool that is shown to increase recycling.”

Cathy Cook, chair of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Group, said: “The decision to encourage not less than fortnightly residual waste collections completely undermines what the Government is trying to achieve through the rest of the reforms.

“The Government has put in a lot of resources to ensure that householders can recycle dry recyclable materials and food waste. This will not work if the Government continue to encourage unrestricted residual waste collections.”

Sam Chapman-Allen, chair of the District Councils’ Network, accused the Government of failure to provide adequate funding. He said that typical investment of nearly £1m in new waste vehicles would be required by each district council to cope with the additional collections, so that already financially stretched councils will have “no choice but to cut back on other services“.

He added that “imposing unrealistic timelines risked making the reforms unviable”. He said: “It is unacceptable that we are expected to overhaul our waste collection systems for households within a mere 20 months, and those for businesses within 10 months.”

He described the two-week residual collection cap as a “one-size-fits-all, top-down approach that failing to recognise that “councils are elected sovereign bodies, reflecting local needs. It also fails to recognise that the priority should be to reduce waste levels overall and to increase recycling.”

The National Association of Waste Disposal Officers said there was now further clarity over the forthcoming statutory instrument and guidance for councils.

It mirrored concerns over the fortnightly cap and said three- and four-weekly collections were “the only effective way for local authorities to reduce the excessive financial burden they will face from the proposed Emissions Trading Scheme including energy-from-waste thermal treatment”

Michael Topham, chief executive officer of Biffa, said the announcement as a “positive step forward”. He added: “Having clarity on timelines and what’s in scope is crucial for a seamless implementation of a consistent approach to recycling.”

As part of extended producer responsibility (EPR), producers will be required to label packaging to state whether it is recyclable or not. Defra said: “This will help reduce confusion and support the simpler recycling measures to ensure the correct materials are captured ”

Patrick Brighty, head of recycling policy at the Environmental Services Association (ESA), said: “The ESA supports measures that provide local authorities with the flexibility to determine their own collection model based on their own individual circumstances but, whatever the chosen solution, councils will need to demonstrate that their service choices deliver the efficient and effective recycling performance required by the new packaging EPR regime.

“Appropriate commingling of materials – which must be done carefully to avoid contamination and preserve quality – would minimise the number of bins required for householders and businesses and maintain an efficient collection service.”

Recycling Association chief executive Paul Sanderson said: “I’ve been saying for a while that we need to get on with introducing EPR and simpler recycling and we are now getting the certainty that this policy is moving forward with clear deadlines for its introduction.

“Whoever wins the upcoming General Election should keep the framework of these policies in place so our members and other stakeholders in the value chain can prepare for their introduction.”

Reporting by By Will Hatchett, MRW.

Waqas Qureshi, Packaging News: https://www.packagingnews.co.uk