Tandridge recycling almost doubles in six months

Tandridge borough council in Surrey has announced that it has nearly doubled its recycling rate within sixth months following the roll out of a new recycling and waste collection service.

According to the council, after contractor Biffa implemented the change to its service in October 2012, the amount of waste being sent to landfill has also fallen by almost a third from 9,700 tonnes between October 2011 and April 2012, to 6,300 tonnes sent to landfill during the same period ending in April 2013.

Tandridge said its recycling rate now stands at 63% compared to the 33% rate before the new service was launched, saving it more than 200,000 in landfill tax payments.

Since its launch, the new service has captured 4,700 tonnes of dry recyclables, such as glass, plastics, cans, tins, foil and cartons for recycling, while 1,500 tonnes of food waste has been processed at Bio Collectors’ AD plant in Mitcham to produce energy for peoples homes and fertiliser for agriculture.

According to Biffa, this would have placed Tandridge council into the top ten local authorities for recycling performance, based on Defras local authority recycling league table for 2011/12, and the service is now on course to deliver annual efficiency savings of around 900,000.

Service changes have seen the end of Tandridges weekly back door collections of refuse sacks and a limited range of kerbside-sorted dry recyclables, although the existing paid-for fortnightly collection of garden waste was retained.

Biffa replaced these services with alternate weekly kerbside collections of fully comingled dry recyclables from wheeled bins, which enable residents to recycle a wider range of materials, while residual waste is now collected in black sacks on a fortnightly basis. Weekly collections of food waste from kitchen caddies were also introduced.

According to Biffa, before the new service, Tandridge residents were sending around 19,000 tonnes of household waste for disposal each year, as well as sending the most food waste per resident in Surrey for disposal.

Tandridge district council and the other members of the Surrey Waste Partnership are now aiming for a 70% recycling, reuse and composting rate by 2013/14.

The Partnership includes Surrey county council and the local authorities in Elmbridge, Epsom, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking.

Commenting on the first six months of the new service, deputy director of community services at Tandridge district council, Paul Barton, said: In only six months, to have recycled 1500 tonnes of food waste and 4500 tonnes of other materials is no mean feat. Thank you Tandridge residents for embracing this new service and helping not only save money but also to make new products out of waste materials. Lets keep recycling as much as we can and keep rubbish out of landfill.

Roger Edwards, director of Biffas municipal division, said: This is a stunning performance that puts Tandridge amongst the best in England. Im very proud of the role that Biffa has played in this achievement and humbled by the way residents have responded.