In March this year, the council awarded a seven-year waste and recycling collection contract to Suez, worth more than £30 million (see letsrecycle.com story).
Collection
This followed a trial of changes to the waste and recycling collection system which was carried out last year (see letsrecycle.com story), which saw the proposed new system implemented at 1,800 homes.
Under the new regime, recycling and food waste will be collected on a weekly basis whilst grey residual waste bins will move from a fortnightly regime to once every three weeks. The council also claims that the district’s 68,000 households will be able to recycle more, as cardboard, mixed plastics and Tetra Paks will be collected alongside the existing range of items that can be recycled, including glass, plastic bottles, cans and paper.
The council is working with Suez to plan the rollout of the service across East Devon. It will be introduced in two separate phases, with the first phase being rolled out in the Exmouth area in February next year. The second phase, for the rest of the district, is expected to start next summer.
A public awareness campaign explaining the new service to residents will begin next month and will include a number of activities including road shows where householders can talk directly to recycling officers about the changes.
Sustainable
Councillor Iain Chubb, the council’s portfolio holder for the Environment, said that the new service is being meticulously planned. He added: “Our aim has always been to deliver a more sustainable recycling and waste collection service that benefits the environment, helps our residents do the right thing by recycling more and is economically viable. We believe that this new service provides the solution.
“We used to throw away 60% and recycle around 40%. The trial areas have turned this rate on its head, meaning almost 60% of waste is now diverted from disposal and recycled instead. That’s got to be good for the environment.
“The trials have also helped us understand the practicalities of how we can meet residents’ needs and ensure the service is economically viable.”
Residents
Cllr Chubb added: “We are here to help our residents through these changes and will have a dedicated team of officers who will be out on the streets of our district giving advice and assisting wherever they can.”
Dave Swire, regional manager at waste contractor Suez, said: “We want people living in East Devon to have an improved recycling service and our experienced team is working closely with the council to make it happen, with the minimum of fuss, during 2017.”
Recyclables from East Devon are sent to a materials recycling facility (MRF) operated in the borough by Suez at the Greendale Business Park.
East Devon is one of a growing number of councils in England to have moved towards a three-weekly residual collection cycle in recent years. Among those to have pioneered the reduced frequency collection regime were Bury, which introduced the system in October 2014.
Councils in Wales and Scotland have also looked to three-weekly residual waste collections as a method of boosting recycling, with Gwynedd and Fife among those to look towards a reduced residual regime.
Critics of reduced frequency waste collection systems have questioned whether this method leads to higher dry recycling contamination rates.
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