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‘Put the elections behind us and focus on consultations’

OPINION: Paul Taylor, CEO of FCC Environment, calls for the waste sector to shift its focus from the local elections of 6 May to responding to government consultations on extended producer responsibility (EPR), the deposit return scheme (DRS) and consistency in recycling collections.


It can often feel that the past five years in British politics have just seen us lurch from one issue to the next without making much headway on manifesto promises, although of course it may just seem that way for those of us working in the waste and recycling sector.

Over recent weeks, a key topic of conversation for those in the sector has been the local elections, which saw around 5,000 seats contested across the country. Although decisions relating to the pandemic are largely made at a national level, research from the University of Essex found that 59% of people said that Covid-19 would be the biggest issue for them when deciding which party to vote for1.

Paul Taylor is FCC Environment’s CEO

Due to the pandemic, many of the 5,000 seats that were up for contention should have been contested last year, meaning that there was the potential for local authorities to change hands – and, as we know, changes to which party controls a local authority can lead to changes in how public services, such as household waste collections, are managed.

With the Conservatives making gains across the country, winning 13 councils that they did not previously hold, it is likely to be business as usual for many operators across the sector.

Consultations

Now with the local elections done and dusted, and fantastic strides being made with the vaccine rollout, it is the opportune time to shift the focus on to the consultations for extended producer responsibility (EPR), the deposit return scheme (DRS) and consistency in recycling collections that, as a sector, we seem to have waited an age for. With the different deadlines, the pressure is on us to consider them all in the round in less than a month.

With the consistency in household and business recycling consultation finally launched on 7 May, we are now clearer on what this is likely to mean for the industry. There will be a clear list of materials that local authorities and waste companies must collect from homes and businesses, specifically plastic, paper and card, glass, metal and food waste, as well as garden waste for households. This will of course be a salient part of improving certainty for householders across England as to what can and cannot be recycled. Hopefully this translates into improved participation rates in recycling services and reduce contamination, but there should also be a role for a consistent role in labelling here to gives clear guidance on which bin an item should be placed in. Education will be key.

Government is also looking at statutory guidance on new minimum service standards for rubbish and recycling collections, which will be subject to an assessment of affordability and value for money. The guidance could recommend a minimum service standard of residual waste at least once a fortnight, with organic waste also collected once a fortnight. It is, of course, correct to assess affordability and value for money, but should Government also be assessing the carbon impact of having additional wheels on the road? As an industry we are quite some way off having fully electric fleets.

Pivotal moment

We are now at a pivotal point of change; recycling rates jumped from 11% in 2001 to around 45% in 2015 but have stalled ever since. If we are to meet Government’s target of recycling 65% of our waste by 2035, these measures must be supported by clear and concise public information campaigns to not just inform the public on what can be recycled, but also how to recycle properly as well to avoid contamination.

Related links
1University of Essex: ‘How the pandemic is shaping voting intentions in the UK’

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