In a survey carried out by the Association of Public Service Excellence, councils generally said that recycling and composting had received generally good publicity and positive feedback from the public. But there was less enthusiasm for waste minimisation measures, particularly where these involved restrictions such as limiting wheeled bin sizes or ending side waste collections.
In a letter to local authorities outlining the study's conclusions, APSE quality, research and marketing manager Cecile Scaros said: “Authorities have chosen to concentrate their efforts on recycling and see waste minimisation as a longer term issue. The ability for authorities to charge households is seen as a necessary step towards minimising waste.”
Among councils that wished to introduce litter bins for recyclable materials there was some concern that it was difficult to source these, in particular those with interiors divided into four segments for different waste streams.
Survey
The Association, which represents local authority in-house service departments, also asked councils about costs associated with running council recycling, refuse collection and waste reduction processes. Information on recycling rates was also provided by the survey.
The replies sent are examples of rates and are not averages, but shine an interesting light on market trends. Councils reported recycling rates of around 43% for cans, glass and textiles, 50% for organics and 75% for paper.
Some councils questioned the wisdom of collecting glass, paper and green waste together for recycling. The Association said that vehicles are available with a split compaction body and a hopper for dry recyclables. This allows for separation but still needs only one collection visit per household.
Most councils, the survey found, have stopped collecting side waste and have had no legal arguments over this. But a number of councils reported barriers to charging for bulky household waste where this had previously been a free service. These included an increase in fly tipping, high customer resistance, demand for community skips and competition from other organisations for these items.
Employees
Bonus schemes for employees differed widely. One metropolitan borough council told the Association that its household waste collection teams receive a 47% bonus for satisfactory work completion, which is also paid when they are on leave.
A city council whose domestic refuse service comprised 98% of wheeled bins at 115,000 households said grade 2 refuse collectors receive 15 for attendance per week, 60 completion bonus per week and 2 per week sickness allowance if fewer than five sickness days are taken each year. Chargehands would receive payments at 5% above these rates.
Sickness
Sickness levels among councils which responded ranged from 13% in a large metropolitan authority to 3.7% in a small authority. Most sickness rates were around 6%.
A number of councils said they had found advantages in four-day week operations, and several were negotiating with trade unions to switch to this mode. One pointed out the effect of the EU directive on drivers' hours in case of breakdowns. A four and a half day week, with Friday afternoons not worked, avoided the need for additional drivers.
Other advantages included less disruption from bank holidays, a 'ca;tch up' day for outstanding work and for servicing and maintaining vehicles.
Collection rates for wheeled bins varied sharply with the kinds of areas served. The highest rates were achieved in urban areas, reaching 260 bins per hour in one case, including recycling crews. By contrast one rural area with four small towns collected a maximum of 1,100 bins a day.
Contact the APSE on 0161 772 1810 or email enquiries@apse.org.uk for more information.
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