Council set for switch to monthly bin collections to boost recycling rates
Liam Randall, local democracy reporter
A council is poised to introduce monthly black bin collections in a bid to improve its recycling rates.
Flintshire Council is currently facing the threat of fines of more than £1m after missing the Welsh Government target of recycling 64 per cent of the rubbish it collects for the last four financial years.
With the goal set to increase to 70 per cent in 2024/25, the local authority is now planning to only pick up general waste from residents once every four weeks.
Politicians have previously resisted switching from the present fortnightly arrangement due to concerns over how it will impact residents.
However, senior officials have warned change is necessary to avoid further financial penalties.
It comes as a report going to backbench councillors next week shows 13,410 tonnes (58 per cent) of rubbish put in black bins by residents in 2022/23 could have been recycled.
Fines
Katie Wilby, Flintshire’s chief officer for streetscene and transportation, said the proposed reduction in the frequency of collections was needed with government fine levels expected to increase.
In the report, she said: “We have continually reported that the council faces significant fines for not achieving the statutory recycling targets during 2021/22 and 2022/23.
“The fines for missing the targets over these two financial years equate to more than £1million.
“Following the 2023/24 end-of-year reporting, it is known that Flintshire has again not achieved the statutory recycling target resulting in the possibility of a further significant financial penalty.
“From April 2024, the target has now increased to 70 per cent and the council faces further fines per annum, based on current recycling levels, which could exceed £1million annually.”
Modelling exercise
The council carried out a modelling exercise earlier this year looking at three options for the future of waste services.
They included moving to either three or four weekly collections, as well as sticking to the fortnightly arrangement, but reducing the size of bins from 180 litres to 120.
Ms Wilby said monthly collections would boost recycling rates by an estimated amount of just under six per cent and deliver financial savings of up to £800,000 per year.
She said: “With four weekly residual collections reducing costs and diverting more material from the residual waste stream, this option therefore exhibits the lowest costs and best performance of all the three options.
“With respect to greenhouse gas emissions, it sees the largest emission reduction of 2,045 tonnes Co2e (carbon dioxide equivalent).
“This is predominantly due to the reduction of waste sent to energy from waste facilities.
“It is recommended that this option is progressed and the council transitions to a restricted capacity residual waste collection model.”
The proposals will be considered by members of the council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee when they meet on Tuesday (July 16, 2024).
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Councils all over the UK are doing less and less for more and even more money.
Next door in Denbighshire, we experienced a similar transition last month. Experience in our household has been that these days the quantity of non-recyclable rubbish is so small that a monthly collection is quite adequate. Indeed, the frequency could arguably be even less than that.
And do you have a family? Hope you are factoring in the difference between say, a couple, Vs a family of 6 for example?
For a family of six, collection of non-recyclable waste would probably need to be no less than monthly. But the hard fact is that way more of our rubbish can now be recycled than was the case, say, fifty years ago. And our recyclable waste collection continues to take place every week.
Large family’s in our council area are allowed to have more black bag waste than average size families, check with the council if you qualify.
Cue a massive explosion in fly-tipping!
Surely moving to 4 weekly collections will require fewer bin men/women. What are the cost savings involved and when will that saving reflect in residents council tax bills?
Yes more fly tipping issues again and also rates should be reduced to the level of service
One of the issues is if you happen to be away (on holiday for example) on bin day then you could have rubbish sitting and stinking in your bin for 8 weeks. It is conceivable that with this cycle of collection that you could even miss two collections. Fine if you have neighbours who are willing and able to put your bin out for you and take if back in but many won’t have neighbours that are physically able to do this for them. It is bad enough in Powys where I live with every 3 weeks, that is just… Read more »
How lazy or inconsiderate towards the planet and future generations are the people who cant take an extra few seconds to seperate some household waste as they are throwing it away. The different bags and bins are provided by the council, so how hard is it to throw plastic and tin into one, and glass into a seperate bin. Now we see people moaning the council aren’t doing it for them, and it’s not only bin collection your tax pays for, it’s also things like social care for the old and disabled, schools for your children, so think of that… Read more »
Yes but if you live in a tiny terraced house with no garden lots of bins can be a problem
Have a word with the local councilor he would know your problems, and ask if the council could supply reusable bags instead of bins, like other councils do.
Do you not have local councillors, is that why the down votes. If you tell the council you have no front or back garden to put recycling bins, I am sure they could help.
So what do you do with these bins the council provide that you have no room for, do you throw them away.
Or living in flats? This is a health issue. It only takes one neighbour who can’t sort out their rubbish to drag down everyone’s quality of life.
Wow, Your council collects glass? Lucky you!
Doesn’t seem like joined up thinking trying to force people to use the recycling options this way. Better engagement perhaps? Has there been any contact with residents or are residents just hell bent of stuffing black bags? What is the real underlying issue here?
The local lanes will start to look useful now.
My black bin is full of junk wrapping that comes with our shopping & is emptied every fortnight! If you can explain to me how I can cram twice as much industrial packaging into my bin, please explain!
Tesco offer a service, where you can dump excess plastics packaging from shopping at their stores, when you shop, it’s on their web site.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.tescoplc.com/sustainability/planet/packaging-and-plastic&ved=2ahUKEwjl09HXuaGHAxXLXUEAHbj0BlYQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw39Maz0NWYBsRIf_gb0Ca42
I am very sorry to raise the problem of rats and mice.. but any rubbish staying around for a month is going to be a magnet for vermin…
Yeah to right and then spend money on pest control
Then they surprised when people dumping rubbish everywhere. 3 weeks is insane already.