The new service, which starts on October 1 2012, will see the councils waste contractor Biffa collect food waste on a weekly basis in 20 litre caddies and move to a commingled collection of dry recyclables in 240 litre wheeled bins.
At present dry recyclables are collected weekly through a kerbside sort system – glass and cans are collected in a green box, paper and card in a blue bag, and plastic bottles in a second blue bag. Residual waste is also collected weekly.
As of October, waste and recycling will be collected on an alternate weekly schedule. The fortnightly garden service, which residents pay for, will remain unchanged.
Biffa said that moving to a commingled service will allow residents to recycle a wider range of dry recyclables including: paper, cans, foil, glass, plastics and Tetra-pak cartons.
Pressure
It is hoped the new service will save the council 900,000 a year. Councillor Tony Elias, chairman of the community services committee at the council, said the council had to face twin pressures of maintaining or enhancing local services whilst facing a 14% reduction in its central government grant.
He said: The new service is a direct response to those pressures and to the desire of residents to recycle more and send less waste to landfill. Its great that we can make such significant savings, while enhancing the councils environmental efforts.
The combination of residents commitment to recycling and the proven efficiency of Biffas simple service solution should deliver a recycling rate which will compete with Englands best authorities. The county council should also be able to make important savings on waste disposal.
Contract
Commenting on the service change, Roger Edwards, managing director of Biffas municipal division, said: Were pleased that we could give Tandridge options for change that will benefit everyone. Key to this is commingling which is proven to drive up recycling participation and volumes, and which continues to be chosen by local authorities, undermining those who say that kerbside-sort collections are the way forward.
Thats why we have every reason to be confident that Tandridges local recycling rate should get to 60% or more within months.
The 14-year contract, worth 30 million, between Biffa and Tandridge district council began in October 2005.
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