Many local authorities have suspended garden waste collections in order to free up workers to prioritise residual waste and recycling services amid the coronavirus pandemic.
South
In southern England, one company noticing the downturn in garden waste is composting company Eco Sustainable in Dorset.
Commercial director at Eco Sustainable, Peter Hardy said: “Green waste composting has died a death, pretty much, in the short term. We received 15 tonnes in today. We would usually have about 300 tonnes, maybe 350. It is usually an especially busy time given that we also recently had the Easter weekend.”
Mr Hardy said that when normal collection services resume, he expected incoming material volumes to see “a bit of a boom… but until then it looks pretty dire.”
Dorset council suspended garden waste collections on the 27 March and have asked residents to keep hold of their garden waste until services return to normal.
Scotland
In Scotland, Tommy Dale, from Scottish composting business Forth Resource Management, commented: “We have ten sites across Scotland that take in garden waste. The garden waste tap has just been turned off just as business was getting stronger. So for us, it’s been somewhat problematic. Our tonnage is down by thousands of tonnes a month to literally next to nothing.”
However, to help obtain green waste the company is now providing a collection service to the public. Mr Dale explained that FRM has started an alternative garden waste collection service called ‘Caledonian collections’ to help in the current situation. “We’re collecting garden waste in bulk bags. Because we sell a lot of compost out through our Caledonian horticulture range, we’re giving people a reduced rate. People can then fill their empty bulk bag with garden waste and we’ll uplift it.”
Above: Forth Resource Management composting video
Organics Recycling Group
Organics Recycling and Biogas Group’s Manager, Jenny Grant told letsrecycle.com that despite some sites struggling, the situation was a “mixed picture”.
Ms Grant said: “Some of the collections have completely ceased, certainly garden waste collections. I know that local authorities are working very hard to maintain collections where they can but obviously they do have to prioritise residual waste collections.”
Although there are concerns that smaller composting companies may go out of business with lack of feedstock, the Organics Recycling Group is working to flag the government’s policy procurement notice that states suppliers must get paid with services being suspended.
“Lots of our compost sites are very concerned about the lack of stocks”
She continued: “Lots of our compost sites are very concerned about the lack of stocks, however I think people, where they can, have furloughed staff. One of the things we’ve been flagging up to members in the Policy Procurement Notice about suppliers being paid regardless of services being suspended. I think it could be a real saving grace for some of sites, meaning they would still get some income.”
Ms Grant added that recycling centre closures is an added issue for composting sites. Most household waste recycling centres in the UK closed on the 24 March following the government’s “lockdown” announcement.
Local authorities
Organics Recycling Group chairman Charlie Trousdell told letsrecycle.com that the organisation was trying to work local authorities to help them maintain kerbside services until recycling centres reopen.
Mr Trousdell also expressed concern at the at the amount of people who are likely to be putting garden waste in their residual waste bin, as well as burning their garden waste.
He added that the Group is also working hard as a trade association to support its members during a “difficult time”.
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