Lee Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), gives a resident’s eye view of a three-weekly collection system.
As someone who has worked in the industry for over 20 years now, I like to think I have done my bit to push the resource agenda. What happens then when I become an ordinary resident though and the council where I live introduces three weekly collections of my wheeled bin? Can I really practice what I preach and lead by example or will it all be a bit too much?
I was already starting with a disadvantage, as we have the smaller 120-litre bin for our four-person household instead of the standard 180-litre bin the council gave out when it moved from black sack weekly residual to wheeled bin fortnightly. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, leading by example, but now it didn’t seem so smart.
As you might expect, we already use our recycling containers quite extensively. It is based on the Welsh Government's ‘Collection Blueprint’ of three boxes and a food caddy (left). So we have a box for glass, one for paper/card and one for plastic and cans along with an internal and external food caddy, liners provided. It gives you every chance to minimise what you put in the black bin. And, given the Welsh Government’s aspiration to achieve 70 per cent recycling, then why not collect that final third of your waste every three weeks?
But I will be honest and say I was a bit worried when we found out were going three weekly on the residual. The smaller 120-litre bin gave me a bit of concern, and I wasn’t entirely convinced we would survive. Would I have to sneak some of my waste in to a neighbour’s bin or make a drive of shame to the tip?
Well, it has certainly concentrated the mind, and we have become even more thorough in assessing what can and cannot go in the recycling. As is generally the case, the big issue is plastic items. However, I am fortunate in that the ‘yes’ list of plastics my council will take is quite good, so food trays and pots are in. It has also made me look at what is left to put in the bin. Multi-material packaging seems to be the main culprit now; cartons, crisp packets and other bits food packaging are what is mainly left over. At least they squash down well.
We have made changes to how we tie our kitchen bin liners up when they are full, so they go flatter in the wheeled bin. And we make sure all the excess air is pushed out of them as well. The result? Well, by collection day our 120-litre bin was getting full, but it wasn’t actually full; we probably had four or five days waste space left. So if a household with two adults and two teenagers can go three weekly with a 120-litre wheeled bin, why isn’t the rest of the UK doing it? Well, okay, I know it isn’t that easy, but, equally, we have found it isn’t that hard either.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.