How can local authorities work towards consistency?
Local authorities have made great progress in recycling in recent years. However services and performance vary across England. Through the delivery of greater consistency in recycling, there are opportunities for local authorities to realise further significant benefits.
What are the benefits?
Through the delivery of greater consistency in recycling, there are opportunities for significant benefits, such as:
Achieve increased recycling - Increasing the range of materials collected will result in the diversion of materials for recycling.
Reduce contamination - Improved communications, including labelling of packaging and consideration of the design of packaging in terms of its recyclability, will help to increase capture of recyclate and reduce contamination.
Build partnerships - If neighbouring authorities collect the same core set of materials in a more consistent way, opportunities for cross boundary working increase.
Build a better recycling community - WRAP’s research shows that in general people want to do the ‘right’ thing, and that confusion is a contributing factor to them putting non-target material in their recycling container.
Benefit financially - Analysis from WRAP demonstrates the opportunity for financial benefits across England. Through greater segregation and improving the quality of materials collected from households, local authorities have the oppportunity to maximisse income from material sales off-setting cost of collection.
Reviewing the cost, performance and legal compliance of household waste & recycling services
In 2018, WRAP carried out a collection options appraisal on behalf of a medium-sized unitary authority in the south east of England.
Assessing the cost and performance of waste collection scenarios
Find out how WRAP supported a large unitary authority in the north of England to assess the cost and performance implications of a range of
alternative household waste collection scenarios.
Comparing the performance and costs of collection schemes
Working with a large rural unitary authority to compare the performance and cost of the current collection scheme, an enhanced collection scheme and a number of alternative future collection options.
Assessing costs and performance of different collections scenarios
A collection options appraisal study on behalf of a medium-sized urban unitary authority in order to assess the cost and performance implications of a range of alternative collection scenarios.