Sefton council is also to consider bringing its full recycling collection service in-house following the expiry of its contract with Palm Recycling next year.
The move, which has been recommended by Sefton’s scrutiny committee in a report that will go before the council’s cabinet today, was one of three options considered by the local authority in a review of its current waste strategy.
At present, the council operates in-house fortnightly collections of plastics and card in a 240-litre brown wheeled bin, as well as fortnightly refuse and three-weekly garden waste collections.
Palm Recycling meanwhile picks up tin and glass from green containers, paper from blue sacks and food waste from caddies on a weekly basis.
Under the changes, individual boxes will be scrapped with all recyclables would be commingled by Sefton from the 240-litre brown wheeled bin on a fortnightly basis.
Food waste
Residual waste and garden waste timetables would remain the same, although separate food waste collections would be reduced from a weekly to fortnightly service.
While this would represent a move away from separate collections of recyclables, the report explains that commingling is the most ‘technically, economically and environmentally practicable’ solution available to Sefton.
Advantages include a ‘dramatic’ reduction in the number of vehicle journeys undertaken, streamlining of services, and the option to deliver materials directly to the Gillmoss MRF, which the council already pays for via its annual Waste Levy.
According to the report, the current kerbside sort contract would cost an estimated £2.2 million per annum to continue following its expiry in 2016, due largely to a ‘30%’ drop in value of dry recycled materials based on 2010 commodity prices.
The council estimates that a minimum sum of £1.1 million would be required to re-tender the kerbside sort service while maintaining in-house collections of refuse, garden waste, plastics and card.
By introducing a fully commingled service and bringing all waste operations in-house, Sefton will need to purchase nine additional refuse and food waste vehicles and hire an extra nine staff members of staff.
Costs
However, it is envisaged that the costs will be offset with around £350,000 to be recovered from the termination of its existing contract with Palm, and a net saving of £500,000 per annum achieved from 2018/19 when an increase in dry recycled materials from commingled collections results in reduced landfill costs.
A third option, to introduce separate paper collections while introducing commingling for other materials, looks unlikely to be pursued due to cost implications.
The report concludes: “By introducing a fully comingled [sic] recycling collection service, there is also the opportunity to relaunch the whole recycling and waste collection and disposal agenda to the residents of Sefton.”
If the recommendation is approved today, Sefton will join its neighbouring authority Liverpool council in bringing all of its waste services in-house.
The council, which has terminated its arrangement with private contractor Amey, also provides commingled recycling collections (see letsrecycle.com story).
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