Recycling in Kirklees

What was the issue to address?

The recycling of waste is an important issue for local people who, in a residential talkback survey told us they wanted:

Green wheeled bins emptied more often, at home recycling facilities for glass, recycling opportunities for people still using bin liners, more wheeled bin based collection services. We also wanted to improve overall recycling performance (including the council itself) and divert still more waste away from landfill, thereby saving landfill tax and reducing damage from greenhouse gases.

What did we do?

We reviewed waste and recycling services, and developed the Kirklees Recycling Plan which includes:

Weekly collection service alternating between grey residual waste and green recycling bins. Enhanced free garden waste collection services supported by a low cost home composting scheme and the introduction of a new free service to collect woody waste.

A 44 litre box for the kerbside collection of glass.

A bag-based recycling service for propertied retained on bin liners.

A longer term plan to introduce recycling to perimeter properties.

Significant community support and publicity and information services.

In June 2006 the scheme was introduced to 5,500 households in the Kirklees area, on a trial basis followed by extensive evaluation.

Working with its own services, ward members and its partners, we introduced a programme to:

Recycle street sweepings.

Recover sand for reuse.

Do ward based project work to encourage greater use of green bins.

Consult with black and minority ethnic communities to identify barriers to recycling.

Improve timber recycling from Household Waste Sites.

Employ assistants to help residents achieve maximum recycling from Household Waste Sites.

Support other services with their recycling efforts.

What difference did we make?

The council exceeded its 2005/06 statutory Best Value Performance indicator performance target of 21% recycling and composting of household waste. Using locally applied definitions however, we achieved a 36% recycling and composting rate. We only land filled 27% of household waste, making us one of the highest performers in the UK.

Between June 2006 and November 2006 we diverted an additional 400 tonnes of garden waste into central composting. We placed over 6,000 home composters bringing the total placed so far to over 36,000. Within the trial area we collected four tonnes of glass per week without any effect on the public bottle banks. We diverted seven tonnes of recyclable waster per week from the grey bin into the green bin. We reduced overall waste within the trial area by seven tonnes per week. Complaints of fly tipping within the trial area fell by 20%.

Public consultation carried out during the trial showed that 86% of residents felt it important to have glass recycling facilities. 81% found the increased collection of recyclables useful, and 60% found the revised collection arrangements for the grey bin OK.

The impact on people was a clear demonstration of the council responding to their needs and a consequent increase in environmental benefits.