This means that the council achieved a recycling rate 16% higher than one would expect for a rural council to achieve with the same money.
The findings were highlighted in a survey by rural authority organisation SPARSE which compared the costs of dozens of rural authorities in England with their recycling rates.
Mark Taylor, head of environmental services at North Kesteven district council, said: “For the money we spend the recycling performance we get is unbelievably good. We get 16% more recycling than you would expect for the cost which is quite phenomenal.”
League
In 2006/07, North Kesteven is set to top the recycling league table for the second time with a recycling rate of 56% (see letsrecycle.com story). This is particularly impressive as the council has to service 44,000 properties over a very large area.
In order to encourage recycling, the council offers a three bin system for residual, green and recyclable waste including paper, card, plastics, cans and glass.
Mr Taylor explained that the main reason for the “phenomenal” performance was because the council kept its recycling service simple and that it has a successful green waste collection service.
He said: “In a lot of places you go there is a lot of rules and we are asking people too much. Not long ago people put all their rubbish in one bin and to ask them to use a whole range of boxes will discourage some people from participating. People are not necessarily prepared to take that much time and effort.”
Mid UK
In North Kesteven green waste is sent to an open windrow composting site at Swinderby near Lincoln which is run by local firm Cottons, or to a site run by South-Kesteven-based recycling firm Mid UK Recycling in Caythorpe.
Mid UK is currently pioneering a range of recycling technologies (see letsrecycle.com story) and takes dry recyclables from the council, which it sorts in a materials recycling facility which can accept glass.
The MRF has been fully inspected by North Kesteven council, and only has a 3% contamination rate.
Mr Taylor explained that being able to collect commingled glass accounted for some of the council's success.
He said: “The fact that the Caythorpe MRF can take glass is key to the process and we couldn't have done this without Mid UK Recycling. A lot of local authorities don't allow glass which also deters some people from recycling.
“I dread to think how much separate collections of, for example, paper cost but with the MRF we get economic advantage plus a high recycling rate,” he added.
The revelation over North Kesteven's recycling and waste collection costs comes just a week after reprocessor and community groups called for the Audit Office to carry out a survey of all recycling collection costs in England to make them more transparent (see letsrecycle.com story ).
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