Residual Waste Collection Capacity Debate | are we making it too easy for people not to recycle?
The capacity provided to an average UK household has doubled over the past decade, on the whole as recycling services have been rolled out and expanded, even with the introduction of alternate weekly collections. As such households have more space available for their waste than ever before, plus of course the rise of both food and green waste collections has enabled consumers to put more out at the kerbside than might have been conceived back at the turn of the century. But, despite the additional capacity on offer, the waste produced by an average UK household remains broadly the same, so by not shrinking residual waste collection capacity or volume we are in fact making it easier for some parts of the society to choose not to recycle, which runs counter to all of the plans of national governments and the commitments from many local authorities too.
With DEFRA’s consistent collection policy agenda focused on setting a minimum service standard for collecting a set of target materials for recycling from households and businesses in England (in alignment with both Wales and Scotland) is it time to take a closer look at should capacity of service provision also be a consideration for future services in the UK, and just what should we propose as part of a consistent collection standard, blueprint or charter in terms of capacity provision?
Join our panel webinar as we discuss the evidence behind restricting residual waste collection capacity and frequency and its success in driving behaviour change and improving performance, and consider is reducing frequency or bin capacity the better option. Our discussion will also look forward and propose how the new consistency agenda could embrace restricting residual waste capacity as part of a portfolio of planned service changes, and will reflect on the current service problems being experienced because of coronavirus and what the opportunities are for changing capacities going forward as part of improving the resilience of the service.
Chaired by Dr Adam Read External Affairs Director, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, panellists include Dr David Greenfield, Managing Director of SONECS, Sarah Ottaway, Sustainability and Social Value Lead, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK and Gareth Bourton, Recycling and Waste Contracts manager, East Devon District Council.
