OPINION: ‘We need to listen to the householder’

The DCN has said it “remains concerned” about the upcoming consistent recycling legislation as it will reduce the “local freedom necessary to deliver services” (see letsrecycle.com story).

OPINION: The consistency consultation indicates a government preference for separate collection of each of the recyclable streams – paper, glass, plastic, metals and food.

It also includes reference to local authorities being able to determine the optimum collection method for their particular circumstances by applying the TEEP test, namely being able to operate comingled collections where the separate collection of each recyclable stream is not Technically, Economically or Environmentally Practicable.

The conditions to meet this test are not yet clear and are expected to be in the Statutory Guidance when published. It is difficult to think that any local authority,  especially one that can achieve the levels of quality sorting through a company such as Re-Gen, would wish to impose a system that required even more bins than households have at present. The additional costs may be difficult to afford.

In our experience, the more separation and bins applied to householders, the lower the participation and yield. We fully support higher quality standards but believe this should be left to the responsibility of local authorities to determine the best solution for them to achieve these standards.

Re-Gen agrees with the members of the District Councils Network and their concerns at possible proposals from Defra to impose multiple container recycling systems on householders. The DCN represents English collecting local authorities and knows what works best as it is closest to householders and how they engage with recycling systems.

Commingled

Commingled collections provide householders with the easiest and most convenient recycling collection system.

This is supported by the latest recycling league tables for 2021-22 where six out of the top 10 recycling councils in England use commingled recycling systems. Six out of the top seven councils in Northern Ireland use commingled systems. The volume available for the householder is flexible with no limitations because of small boxes or sacks.

Re-Gen has always advocated that if a recycling system is made simple for householders, and businesses when systems are expanded to include non-household municipal recycling collections, then the maximum volume of recyclable material will be collected.

We fully understand why elected representatives in the DCN who are close to their householders don’t see why their communities should be forced to find space for more containers and follow complicated rules as to what recycling goes in which container. In their words ‘The strongest recycling councils have used their knowledge of their local geography and the needs of their local community to devise the system which works best in their area, and we need to retain this local discretion for further success in future.’

Well invested-in materials recovery facilities produce quality recyclates, have the equipment to do the sorting, and can handle what the householders put into their commingled collection. We need to listen to the householder.