We introduced weekly kerbside recycling collections of a wide range of materials, including food waste, 15 years ago. However, an analysis of the waste North Somerset households put in their black bins found that almost half (45 per cent) could have been recycled.
Of the total waste put in black bins, over a quarter (27 per cent) was food waste and almost half of this was unopened food still in its packaging.
Last year, households in North Somerset generated approximately 90,000 tonnes of waste, 40,000 tonnes of which was put in black bins. 18,000 tonnes of this could have been recycled instead, saving money and protecting the environment.
Black bin rubbish costs £130 per tonne to dispose of and this year the council will need to spend about £5 million on processing this waste. In contrast, North Somerset Council’s separated kerbside recycling collections result in a high quality of material that can be sold and made into new materials and generates an income of around £30 per tonne.
Several other local councils in the south west have already successfully made the switch to three-weekly non-recyclable rubbish collections, including Somerset, East Devon and Mid-Devon. All have seen an increase in recycling rates, a reduction in non-recyclable waste and a financial saving.
The move to three-weekly black bin collections is in line with the council’s Recycling and Waste strategy, which aims to reduce non-recycled waste and reach a recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2030. The changes will significantly reduce the costs associated with collecting and treating waste in North Somerset and generate savings of over £1million to help fund vital local services.
Operational improvements
Crews are receiving additional training on how to put containers back neatly and providing feedback cards if recycling or the black bin can't be collected, to help residents get it right next time.
The new collection routes take into consideration all the new houses which have been built across North Somerset since the routes were originally devised, as well as the roads which need to be collected with specialist vehicles to provide a more efficient and reliable service.