More efficient collections to save York 300,000pa

The council said that the new system, whichis being introduced next week (July 18), came as a direct result of the citys residents produced less residual waste and more recycling.

And, it said that, as well as making savings on fuel, the new routes involved would also reduce the carbon emissions produced by its waste and recycling collection vehicles.

The majority of households in York currently receive alternate weekly collections of waste and recycling, with residual waste being collected one week and recycling collected using a three-stream source-separated system on the same day the next week. This involves paper and board being collected in a bag or box, cans and plastic bottles in another bag or box and glass in a box.

The changes will involve over 1,450 households being asked to change their collection day or week. The council noted that this was less than 2% of the citys households and stressed that it would be a one-off change.

Collections

Outlining why the changes were being made now, Janet Looker, cabinet member for environmental services at the council explained that waste and recycling collections in the city had grown in bits and pieces.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com today (July 15), she explained that, as the city had moved gradually to alternately weekly collections there were bits added here and there to rounds but they werent necessarily very coherent.

However, with much of the city now having AWC, we have gone back and divided them up a bit more logically.

She said this would save on both fuel and emissions as well as staffing, explaining that: Bin lorries are more efficiently used so they wont be driving such long distances. We will also be making rounds more coherent so we wont be using as many agency staff.

City of York councils waste and recycling collections managed by the council in partnership with Yorwaste under a five year contract signed in April 2007 (see letsrecycle.com story). Yorwaste, which also handles the councils waste disposal, is jointly owned by the unitary council and neighbouring local authority North Yorkshire county council.

These two local authorities are also jointly procuring a long-term waste treatment contract with PFI support. Spanish-owned waste company AmeyCespa was named as preferred bidder for this deal in June 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).