DCLG publishes weekly collections guidance

The Guidance on Weekly Rubbish Collections, dubbed by the department itself as the bin bible, contains case studies of councils which have maintained weekly collections of waste while increasing recycling. It also contains a list of 10 myths which the department claims are used to promote fortnightly services.

The guidance comes as part of ongoing work by the DCLG on the delivery of waste services.

Communities Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, has been staunchly opposed to alternateweekly – fortnightly – waste collection services since taking office in 2010, and in February 2012 set up a 250 million funding scheme to help local authorities maintain or even reinstate weekly collections (see letsrecycle.com story).

In the bin bible collection guidance, DCLG says that the funding awarded to local authorities under the 250 million scheme has helped to safeguard weekly collections for around six million households, and will lead to an extra 400,000 tonnes of material being recycled.

‘Barmy bin policies’

Commenting on the guidance, Mr Pickles said: This government is standing up for hard-working people and getting rid of barmy bin policies which made families lives hell.

Rubbish collections are the most visible service that people get for their 120 a month Council Tax bill. People deserve a comprehensive weekly service in return for their taxes.

We have exposed 10 false fictions fortnightly bin barons cling to as excuses for cutting services. If councils adopt this new guide as their bin bible, they will be able to save taxpayers money and still increase the frequency and quality of rubbish and recycling collections.

The minister was also critical of the administrations in Wales and Scotland, who he claimed supported less frequent collections of waste.

He added: Across Britain there is a clear choice on offer. The government in England is standing up for weekly collections; by contrast, the administrations in Wales and Scotland are moving towards monthly collections.

According to DCLG, bin bureaucrats have falsely claimed that moving to fortnightly collections is the only way to improve recycling rates. The Department reasons instead that numerous councils have managed to recycle more than half of their waste whilst maintaining weekly collections.

Case studies

‘In seeking to undermine the concept of and evidence base for fortnightly or variable frequency collections, it shows little respect for the local decision making process enshrined in the governments Localism Act.’

Steve Lee, CIWM

Case studies included in the report include Bournemouth borough council, which has kept weekly collections and developed a reward system for residents who recycle more as well as Ribble Valley council, which has secured finance through the 250 million fund to divert around 770 tonnes of food waste away from landfill.

Controversial

Talkof the document ahead of its publication proved to be controversial among some parts of the waste sector, with the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management describing the guidance as unhelpful.

Speaking ahead of the official release of the guidance last week,the Institution’schief executive Steve Lee commented that the document sought to undermine the evidence base for fortnightly collections.

He added: In seeking to undermine the concept of and evidence base for fortnightly or variable frequency collections, it shows little respect for the local decision making process enshrined in the governments Localism Act and the significant efforts made by local authorities to provide value for money collection and recycling services that meet residents needs while keeping costs down and delivering maximum environmental benefit.

The 10 weekly collection myths ‘busted’ by DCLG

In the document, DCLG sets out to bust a number of myths it claims have been employed by bin bureaucrats regarding weekly waste collections. These include:

• There is no alternative to fortnightly collections to improving recycling rates.

• Fortnightly collection schemes reduce the overall amount of waste produced.
• In areas with low recycling rates, introducing a fortnightly collection is the only way to change residents attitudes to recycling.
• The 250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme will be damaging to the environment and have a disastrous impact on recycling.
• People dont want their bins emptied every week.
• Other than inconveniencing residents, there are no other problems caused by a move to fortnightly collections of residual waste.
• Local authorities cant commit to weekly collections of residual waste in uncertain times.
• The only option for a local authority to save money is to move to a fortnightly collection of residual waste.
• The introduction of a fortnightly collection will bring significant savings to the council and in turn therefore to the Council Tax payer.
• Traditional weekly rubbish collections must be scrapped to meet European Union recycling regulations.