In a report which went before the council’s cabinet on Friday (15 February), councillors approved a raft of changes to waste collections, which will also see a new weekly food waste collection system rolled out.
The changes will be introduced from April 2026 to comply with the government’s Simpler Recycling and the council has committed to:
- Collect recycling every week
- Introduce a new weekly food waste collection
- Collect the other, residual waste fortnightly
- Review green waste collections in line with updated government guidance
Gate fees
As well as to compliance with government legislation, the council also noted that its waste disposal fees will double in 2026 when it moves to a new contract.
Currently, the council has an agreement with Suez which sees material processed at the company’s Haverton Hill site.
This contract has been extended until April 2026.
In the meantime, local authorities across the Tees Valley are in the process of procuring a new facility to be utilised from April 2026. This process is ongoing and a site has yet to be confirmed, however, the report said the energy from residual waste gate fee is expected to double following the necessary procurement.
Letsrecycle.com reported in December 2020 that Viridor, Suez and Green Recovery Projects, formed when FCC Environment sold 49% of its EfW portfolio to Icon, were in the running for the contract, which could be worth £2.1 billion (see letsrecycle.com story).
Recycling
The borough’s current recycling rate is the lowest in the Tees Valley at 24.3 per cent in 2020/21, ranking Stockton-on-Tees 328 out of 338 authorities nationally. This compares to the Tees Valley average of 30.58 per cent and a national average of 42 per cent.
Councillor Clare Gamble, Stockton-on-Tees borough council’s cabinet member for the environment and transport, said: “Due to changes in national legislation, increasing costs and our ongoing commitment to reduce our carbon emissions, we need to change the way we collect and dispose of the Borough’s waste to ensure an efficient, effective and resilient service, that is fit for the future.
“Introducing a weekly recycling collection, alongside a weekly food waste collection will hopefully encourage households to recycle more. The removal of food waste and recyclable material allows the residual household waste to be collected fortnightly.
“It will also help the Council move forward with our commitment to the environment, reduce costs and, most importantly, continue to provide an outstanding service to our residents.”
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