Households may need up to SEVEN bins as part of the biggest shake
up of rubbish collections in years which will create “chaos and
confusion”, councils warn today.
The Government wants to standardise kerbside waste collections,
so they are the same across England by 2023/24.
But this could see four separate bins required for dry
recyclables – glass, metal, plastic, paper and card – as well as
bins for garden waste, food waste and non-recyclables.
The District Councils’ Network, which represents 183 councils in
England, with responsibility for waste collection, says the
proposals are “poorly thought out”.
It is concerned that towns and cities where space is limited will
struggle to accommodate the extra bins, with driveways
potentially clogged up and pavements blocked.
The amount of extra collection vehicles on the road to service
all these new waste types will also cause disruption in our busy
towns and cities.
The DCN estimates the expensive proposals will cost £680 million
every year and reduce many existing bins into unnecessary waste
themselves.
It is calling for local councils and communities to be able to
decide how they want their waste collected.
It also says plans for universally free garden waste collections
should be scrapped, as it means households without gardens are
unfairly footing the bill through their council tax for those who
do. Instead there should be a focus on minimising this type of
waste through home composting.
Radical changes on this scale will also require an overhaul of
collection fleets, depots and staff, which will be extremely
challenging to achieve within the timescale proposed.
It is seeking urgent clarity from government on how the funding
will be assessed and distributed fairly to each council on an
ongoing basis.
The DCN says that rather than unnecessary tinkering with kerbside
waste, the Government should be focussing on reducing the amount
of waste produced in the first place.
Cllr Dan Humphreys, DCN’s lead member for enhancing quality of
life, said:
“These proposals are poorly thought out and will create costly
chaos and confusion up and down the country.
“Rather than standardise waste collections, local communities
should be able to decide what works best for them.
“What works for residents in villages and rural areas won’t work
for people living in flats in a busy town or city.
“It is also wrong that those without gardens are contributing
towards the costs of garden waste collections for those who do.”
Notes to editors
Government consultation - Consistency in Household
and Business Recycling in England
