Guide to improving HWRC performance published

A guide to improving the management of Household Waste & Recycling Centres (HWRCs) has been published by WRAP.

The 127-page guide is aimed at all those involved in the management of HWRCs, including local authority officers, waste management companies and third sector re-use partners.

Developed in conjunction with local authorities,it provides advice and supporting evidence on efficient and cost-effective HWRC management. It builds on and updates existing sources of information on HWRC services.

It covers areas including: current HWRC provision, health and safety, legislation, the involvement of the third sector, security, factors affecting recycling rates, waste composition; staff management and layout and design. The guide was compiled by Resource Futures for WRAP.

Improvement

The document notes that, although HWRC recycling performance has improved significantly in recent years, there is still a wide variation in performance between different sites. Most local authorities are achieving average recycling rates of greater than 50% across their HWRC network, excluding separated rubble and soil. However, 51 authorities are achieving rates of less than 50%.

WRAP says this shows there are clearly opportunities to improve performance at the HWRCs in these areas, claiming that a recycling rate of over 70% is, in principal, a realistic target.

The guide includes a number of case studies. For instance, South London Waste Partnership, which comprises of four London boroughs, put its network of HWRCs out to tender in 2008. Through improvements to infrastructure and operations, the introduction of material diversion targets and enhanced contract management, the partnership has saved 876,000 in landfill tax costs.

Important

Linda Crichton, head of collections and Quality at WRAP, says: HWRCs have an important role for the public, who expect to be able to recycle a wide range of materials at a clean and modern site, during hours convenient for them. In response, the increasing efforts of local authorities and contractors to improve HWRC services has helped drive significant improvements in HWRC recycling performance in recent years.

However, while local authority budgets continue to be squeezed, HWRC services are naturally an area where councils are looking to be more cost-effective. Our new guidance draws on real-life examples of good practice in HWRC management, and provides advice on how to improve performance and cut costs.

The guidance can be downloaded here.