New Best Value figures obtained by letsrecycle.com show that 113 councils provided full coverage in their areas during 2004/05, while 257 of the 353 collection authorities offer kerbside recycling to nine out of every 10 households.
 A third of councils, including Durham (pictured) now provide kerbside recycling services for 100% of households |
With these services now in place, councils have been busy urging residents to use them – particularly during the current post-Christmas clear-out.
Cllr David Sparks, chair of the Local Government Association's environment board, said: “None of these resources will be effective unless people actually make the effort to use them. Recycling, whatever the time of year, is something we must all do if we are to look after our environment for the future.”
However, while the new data will come largely as good news to Defra, it suggests some councils have still been struggling to put in place the much-needed recycling infrastructure, with a handful of authorities offering kerbside services to less than half of households in 2004/05.
Some of the strugglers include Swindon, Scarborough, Dudley, Berwick, Kettering and Rutland, England's smallest county, which provided kerbside recycling services to just 7.5% of households in 2004/05.
Rutland
Rutland, as with all councils in England, will have to provide kerbside recycling collections for all residents – picking up at least two materials – by 2010 to meet the terms of the Household Waste Recycling Act.
Phil Trow, director of community services at the council said Rutland now had plans to introduce kerbside recycling to all 15,000 homes by 2008.
He said: “Councillors have already agreed that a kerbside recycling scheme for dry recyclables to all homes and green waste for the towns will be introduced by 2008 at the very latest.
“This will result in Rutland achieving a near 100% rate for homes with access to a kerbside scheme. A great deal of hard work takes place in Rutland to encourage people to recycle through methods other than kerbside,” he added.
” None of these resources will be effective unless people actually make the effort to use them. “
– Cllr David Sparks, LGA
Resources
Other struggling councils have also told letsrecycle.com they have plans in place to catch up, with the central issue being whether resources are being made available to put new services in place.
England's most northerly authority, Berwick-upon-Tweed, had put kerbside expansion plans on hold while letting a new recycling contract. Now the contract has been awarded – to waste firm Onyx in June this year – the council is to roll out its kerbside scheme borough-wide.
Ross Buchanan, Berwick's principle environmental health officer, said: “We invested no money on recycling in 2004/05 and only half the households have kerbside collections. Now we have awarded contracts for waste the council has agreed to fund collections from the remaining households. Over the next 18 months we will be rolling the service out borough-wide.”
Opt-in
West Midlands metropolitan borough Dudley said it has been offering kerbside recycling services to all residents, but the opt-in service had seen only 45% of residents on the scheme during 2004/05.
Dudley spokeswoman said: “Approximately half the residents have requested the boxes, and we continue to roll out the scheme to those that request it. The last two months has seen a lot of boxes sent out.”
Kettering borough council in Northamptonshire provided collections for just 35% of households in 2004/05 according to the new figures – but the council said its service was already being expanded, with a borough-wide scheme expected by April 2006.
A spokesperson said Kettering expected to be among the best councils in the country for recycling once the scheme is borough-wide, judging by the performance of the first phase of the scheme, which has achieved 50% recycling rates.
To see the latest recycling rates for councils across the UK, see the letsrecycle.com league tables page.
Subscribe for free