This survey examines gate fees charged to local authorities in the UK for municipal waste recycling, recovery, treatment and disposal options. It aims to assist local authorities in making better informed decisions about waste management options and to benchmark what they might be expected to pay.
Comparing the costs of waste treatment options in the UK
Key findings
- The single price range with the most gate fees is £40 to £45/tonne.
- Wales and Northern Ireland experience higher median gate fees and minimum gate fees than England, similar to last year’s findings.
- 83% of respondents expect gate fees to increase in the future.
Increasing efficiency in the waste management market is key to supporting local authorities make informed decisions on waste and recycling management options. The aim of the gate fee survey is to improve efficiency in the waste management market by sharing information and increasing price transparency. The data for this report was gathered between January and March 2020 and covers the 2019/20 financial year.
This survey is based on data collection with three groups: surveys with local authorities, (including unitary, waste collection and waste disposal authorities); and private sector operators of waste management facilities; and interviews with senior managers of large waste management companies operating within the UK market.
The interviews confirmed several factors, evidenced in the report:
- The upward trend in gate fees continues
- The market is moving towards a fixed gate fee with 33% of respondents stating that their gate fee was fixed.
- The COVID-19 pandemic is leading to a reduction from C&I sources of food waste to AD and IVC facilities, and DMR to MRFs as result of the temporary closure of many businesses
- Contamination is an ongoing issue. Tightening of overseas markets on the quality of export materials influences price increases along with significant fluctuations in the value of global commodity markets.
Commercial waste gate fees
Given the expected growth in non-household recycling under the Circular Economy Package and the Resources and Waste Strategy, we have also collected commercial waste gate fees which are included in the report.
Interactive map
We have provided a Tableau data visualisation, which enables you to view the gate fees data on a dashboard which can be filtered by region and by facility type.
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DownloadGate Fees Report 2020
PDF, 1.08 MB