Winter halt of green waste service offers savings

The suspension of green waste collections over the winter months offers councils the chance to save on operational costs without “significantly” affecting their recycling performance, a report has shown.

The finding comes in a series of case studies compiled into a report by advisory body Waste Improvement Network (WIN), which assessed the issues surrounding the introduction of a subscription-based green waste collection system for households.

Assessing the decision made by some councils to temporarily halt collections over the winter, the WIN report states that there are benefits to the decision, due to it being likely there will be less material generated at that time of year.

This is coupled with the idea that the practice may not be environmentally or economically beneficial during the winter – given the cost of running a full collection service to pick-up a lesser amount of material for reprocessing.

And, while it was highlighted that residents used to a full-year service may object to the alteration, there could be considerable savings from the temporary cessation. For example, East Lindsey district council estimated that there was a potential for it to make £170,000 in savings from halting collections.

Furthermore, the report states that, with regards to suspending the service, “an adverse effect on recycling performance is possible” but research from the case studies shows that “it is not likely to be significant”.

A case study from Waveney district council, in Suffolk, suggested that there was a low level of green waste arisings over the course of the winter, amounting to less than 1,400 tonnes, which meant that suspending the service caused only a small impact on its recycling and composting performance. The local authority claimed that the impact on its recycling figure was less than 2%.

However, one issue raised was that the first collection after the suspension could see higher quantities of green waste than normal with householders retaining or storing material.

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The case studies were also used to identify the issues surrounding the introduction of a subscription-based collection scheme for garden waste.

From anecdotal evidence and research, WIN said that there were benefits in that it would help drive up a council's composting performance, as yields from subscription-based services tend to be higher as residents seek to make the most of the paid-for service.

For example, Bromsgrove district council said that it had an average of 230kg of garden waste per household under its free collection service, which rose to 377kg per household once it began to charge for the scheme.

And, it also said that the cost of residents subscribing to the service could provide an additional revenue stream for local authorities, while offering a financial incentive for residents unwilling to join the scheme to take-up home composting. Also, charging for the scheme was seen as fair on those householders without gardens.

Furthermore, based on case study evidence, councils are advised to carry out a thorough communications effort and prepare an FAQ about the introduction of a subscription-based service to address public concerns about the service. This, WIN states, is particularly pertinent in areas which had previously operated a free-of-charge scheme.

The case studies also exhibit the wide array of charging schemes used across the country – and even within one county, with evidence from Hampshire county council showing a variant of models across its district authorities.

In Hampshire, 11 of the 13 councils run a collection for green waste, with seven offering a fortnightly collection in bags with an average annual subscription of £27, one offers a weekly bag collection for £25 per year, two offer a free collection which sees residents given a first roll of bags for free and charged thereafter and another council carries out a fortnightly collection, with residents charged £1.50 per bag to use the service.