Wales aims to boost recycling rates using trade waste

Although recycling targets in England are based on household waste only, the Welsh Assembly set its councils' targets based on municipal waste.

So, while in England many local authorities are looking to prevent trade waste being deposited at CA sites and avoid the associated costs, local authorities in Wales could gain from recycling trade waste at their CA sites.

To assess the effect of taking recyclable trade waste, the Welsh Assembly has already started a study with Powys county council.

The advantages to a council in this scheme is that, without having to provide additional collection services, they yield more recyclables to boost both their recycling rates and income from sales of the material, which is often good quality office paper or cardboard.

Traditionally, trade waste collections by local authorities have only covered the residual waste with companies having to make arrangements with private companies for collections of recyclables.

Chris Coggins, a consultant working on the project, was keen to stress that Powys council was only offering this service to its own trade waste customers. “They are not poaching trade off the private sector. The council is offering its existing customers the opportunity to take their recyclables to the civic amenity sites,” he said.

He explained that because the businesses are carrying their own waste to the CA sites it comes under &#39d;uty of care' so they do not need a separate waste carriers' license. Also councils that choose to collect waste from trade customers must make a reasonable charge for this service.

Charge

Powys county council has 60 traders to date paying 15 a year to register to the trade waste scheme, including sole proprietors, pubs and caravan parks.

A spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly told letsrecycle.com: “At the present time Powys county council are running a trial traders scheme on their waste collection sites with Assembly sponsorship.”

She added that traders are not allowed to deposit construction or hazardous wastes under the scheme. The spokes woman said: “Initial responses suggest that this is proving quite popular with local traders. Packaging waste, especially cardboard, is proving to be one of the main items collected as is bottle glass and green waste.”

But the spokeswoman said that the Assembly is now looking for a more urban local authority to trial a similar scheme allowing recyclable trade waste at civic amenity sites.