Residents have been asked for views on the potential for a change to the system, in light of the council’s requirement under the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations to separately collect recyclable materials.
Lewisham is also bidding to increase the amount of waste it collects for recycling, having recorded a recycling rate of 17.7% in 2013/14 – making it the joint lowest recycling borough in the country for the year.
Under the regulations the council can collect the material together if it is not technically, environmentally and economically practicable (TEEP) to operate a separate collection system, or not necessary to encourage high quality recycling.
At present Lewisham residents have their recyclable waste collected on a weekly basis – using a single 240l wheeled bin. Material is collected commingled, and is processed at Viridor’s Crayford materials recycling facility (MRF) in Kent – under an arrangement between the council and the waste contractor that began in December 2014.
Options
However, the council is looking at future options for changes to its collection system and has hinted that separate collection could be among the potential means of increasing recycling.
Residents have been asked their views on the current recycling system and whether they would be open to changes to the scheme, in a consultation that opened on Friday (August 21) and runs until October 18.
In a report put to the council’s cabinet ahead of the launch of the consultation last month, Lewisham’s executive director for customer services, noted: “To comply with the regulations, there are a number of actions the council could consider that might also help increase the amount of material that is collected for recycling. This includes options for collecting different materials for recycling separately rather than altogether as the council does now, introduction of food waste collections and a subscription based garden waste service. Some changes could mean more bins and boxes for residents and some changes could also mean changing the frequency of collections.”
Consultation
The report adds that at present the council does not have a preferred option for a potential change, and future decisions are likely to be influenced by the outcomes of the consultation.
While potential for separate collections in Lewisham would need the backing of residents to come to fruition, such a change would make the council one of the few in England and Wales to alter its collection services in light of the changes to the waste regulations.
Results of the consultation are set to be presented to councillors in the winter – with any potential changes to the service then to be developed during 2016.
[Amended 25/08/2015 10:37 to reflect that Lewisham’s recycling collections are carried out weekly and not fortnightly as originally stated.]
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