Ten point action plan agreed to try and achieve 60 per cent recycling in Teignbridge
They're encouraging more people to recycle food waste
Last updated 9th Mar 2021
A ten point action plan has been outlined by Teignbridge District Council to boost their recycling rates to a target of 60 per cent.
The council has always been a high performer nationally in relation to recycling, reaching the top ten of English authorities with their highest recorded rate of 57.4 per cent in 2009, but since then, and despite significant positive service changes, the recycling rate has plateaued at a level around 56 per cent.
Teignbridge’s executive, when they met on Tuesday morning, unanimously agreed to the action plan that outlines ten ways in which they plan to try and increase the recycling rates in the district.
But the meeting heard that if residents recycled all their food waste rather than putting it in the black bin will residual waste, that alone, given 21 per cent all residual waste is food, would be enough to make Teignbridge top of the recycling charts.
And Cllr Alistair Dewhirst, executive member for the environment, issued a warning to those trying to fly-tip in the district, saying: “You will get caught.”
He added: “We have a ten point action plan that hopefully will see improvements in the recycling rates. Recycling rate is not the be all and end all of our waste as many in the industry consider residual rate per household as important. Although we would like to achieve 60 per cent, we don’t intend to chase tonnages for the sake of beating another district.
“The ten points – most of which we are doing or just need ramping up a bit – and 21 per cent of what people put in their black bin is food waste. If we could get that out of the black bins and recycled, then we would be the top recycling authority in the UK just like that.”
The meeting heard that of what an analysis of more than 1,000 black bins showed, was the 51 per cent of the contents could be recycled. While 49 per cent was residual waste, 21 per cent was food waste, 9.3 per cent garden waste, 5 per cent paper, 6.4 per cent textiles, 3.7 per cent plastic, 3.2 per cent card, 0.9 per cent glass, 0.8 per cent metals, and 0.3 per cent electrical waste, all of which could be recycled..
Asked by Cllr Stephen Purser what happens when the recycling crews come across waste that should be recycled, Cllr Dewhirst said that there was a systems for recording the properties and enforcement officers could visit and talk to people.
He added: “The feeling on that is that essentially we have a small number of hardcore types who won’t, but also have we the new housing estates, and we are targeting the new estates because as often as not, it’s just that they don’t understand our system, so we explain to them what they need to do.”
Cllr Andrew McGregor added: “We should laud the vast majority of the residents as they do recycle and recycle very well, but there are an unfortunate small number who haven’t got a handle on it yet and don’t recycle.”
The report of Chris Braines, waste & cleansing manager, said: “Notwithstanding the fact that Teignbridge are performing at a higher level than all other comparable districts in Devon (excluding East Devon) and are well within the top quartile nationally, there are actions that should be considered to help increase the recycling rate.
“The composition of household waste changes over time and in relation to the services provided, something which has been particularly noticeable during the pandemic as more people work from home, rely on internet shopping and shift from paper to digital communications. It is important to understand the composition of the waste stream to target the materials likely to return the greatest results for practical levels of investment.
“The intelligence led approach helps us to focus the resource available and has led to some productive work focusing on food waste at new builds and improving recycling at communal properties for example.
“What is apparent from the analysis is that there are no particular ‘gaps’ in the current recycling service provision in Teignbridge in terms of a need to collect additional material types. There is however, a stark presence of organic waste in the residual waste, predominantly food waste but also some garden waste.
“If we were to achieve full participation in the services currently offered our recycling rate would far surpass the 60 per cent level.”
The ten point plan
Action 1 – Work to deliver waste education and behavioural change campaigns and initiatives using available resources, with a specific campaign linked to the availability of free of charge additional recycling containers to encourage greater participation.
Action 2 – Continue to support and work jointly through DASWC, regionally and nationally on campaigns
Action 3 – Deliver an intelligence led approach to compliance work focusing activities on new housing estates and other low participating areas to maximize participation in recycling services.
Action 4 – Proactively seek external funding available to support recycling initiatives
Action 5 – Work across departments to develop and improve systems to help deliver high levels of participation in waste and recycling services
Action 6 – Work to promote the garden waste service, including reference to the availability of additional bins and consider the option for properties to have greater than three garden waste bins
Action 7 – Support the installation of on street recycling litter bins in line with the policy in place
Action 8 – Review the additional bin policy to remove option or increase the charge levied
Action 9 – Review the side waste policy to reduce the allowance from 3 times to once per year and consider introducing charges for this service.
Action 10 – Continue to provide community recycling banks in recognition of the important role they play in maintaining high recycling rates within the district
The council’s overview and scrutiny committee will be asked to look into actions 8 and 9 of the plan and come back with any feedback on the proposals.
On action 8, the report added: “Households that meet a set criteria in relation to number of occupants are currently entitled to an additional residual waste bin free of charge. At present households that don’t meet the criteria can apply for a second residual waste bin at a charge of £126 per year but must agree to fully participate in the recycling services provided.
“A 1 per cent increase in the current recycling rate requires 495 tonnes to migrate from the residual waste into the recycling collections. In the situation faced, where incremental marginal gains are required, the practice of offering charged additional bins could be reconsidered, with a view to a significant cost increase or removal as an option altogether.”
On action 9, the report said: “Residents are currently able to request collection of up to five bags of side waste in addition to their black bin on three occasions in a rolling 12 month period. Any other side waste, or side waste not pre- booked, will not be collected by crews.
“Last year we received 1,378 requests for additional side waste collections, amounting to an estimated 28 tonnes of residual waste. Of these approximately a third were repeat requests from the same household. As a means to reducing residual waste this service approach could be reviewed to lower the allowance and resulting residual waste tonnage.”
It concluded: “At a time of extreme financial pressure for the Council any actions that require additional budget, resources, or reduce income should be carefully considered before being implemented.
“Increasing the recycling rate may generate additional income in some scenarios but not others and the cost/benefit relationship is not always straightforward. For example it is clear that the primary target material is food waste. Increasing the amount of food waste we capture for recycling will not, however, generate any additional material income for the Council as there is a cost to reprocess this waste. We would, however attract additional recycling credit income.
“Conversely increasing the quantity of garden waste collected would not generate any additional material income or recycling credits. There is a greater question worthy of consideration relating to whether the recycling rate is the best indicator of success. Its attraction is its simplicity and its ease of use for comparisons locally and nationally.
“Chasing an increased ‘recycling rate’ without proper regard for the cost and principles of the waste hierarchy should be avoided if sustainable waste management practices are the priority. Nevertheless the actions identified in this report could be pursued and should generate increases in the recycling rate.”
Cllr Dewhirst added: “If people fly-tip in our district, then they will be levied with fines. We don’t want people being pilloried from the nearest lamppost, but if they fly tip in the district, they will get caught.”