Three Rivers district council in Hertfordshire argues it is facing ‘increasing financial pressure’ from cuts to government funding and has been driven to find new sources of income.
In recent years the council has consistently achieved one of the highest composting rates in England, stacking up a record-setting green rate of 43.35% in 2013/14.
But in October 2014, the council brought in changes to its scheme in order to reduce the tonnages of garden waste it collects from householders to make savings on the cost of treating the material.
This included a drop in frequency of green waste collections to fortnightly, and the separation of food waste from the mixed organic stream. This allowed the council to stop sending its organic waste for in-vessel composting (IVC) in favour of cheaper treatment alternatives (see letsrecycle.com story).
But the removal of food waste from the green waste stream allows the council to start charging for collections of the latter material – a proposal it has now put to householders via an online survey.
Survey
The survey, which runs until next week (October 21), asks residents a series of questions including how satisfied they are with their current green waste collection service and how often they put out their composting bin.
It also asks residents whether they prefer to pay for the service or see it discontinued, and floats three possible price tiers: up to £35, £50 or £70 per year.
In its explanation of the consultation, Three Rivers council claims it is “committed” to providing a weekly collection for household recycling and food waste – and has a “statutory duty” to deliver these services free of charge.
The consultation states: “If the council is to balance its budget in the future it may be forced to either stop collecting garden waste altogether, or start charging for the service, as it currently costs £95 per household per year to collect and dispose of garden waste.”
“The council will use the information obtained to determine whether a sufficient number of households may be prepared to pay a small charge for the collection of garden waste, and what alternative arrangements residents might make for its disposal.”
Ultimatum
The ultimatum is unlikely to prove popular with householders, after complaints from some residents in the district following the council’s decision to reduce the green waste service last year.
Three Rivers’ move also prompted concerns from Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, which has previously voiced fears that the district’s move to limit the amount of garden waste could impact the overall recycling rate for the county.
Provisional recycling rates for 2014/15 published by Three Rivers ahead of Defra’s official statistics already point to a decline in the amount of green waste generated less than a year on from the service changes. The council is on course to achieve a 37.28% composting rate this year, indicating a 6% drop (see letsrecycle.com story).
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