New research from FCC Environment suggests reducing HWRC services further could “significantly affect recycling rates” at a time when the Circular Economy Package is determining ever higher targets, FCC says.
Budget cuts to local authorities has meant councils have recently had to look long and hard at waste and recycling provisions and some have had to take steps to limit HWRC services, reducing opening hours and even closing sites.
However, a new YouGov poll out today suggests residents prize both kerbside and HWRC provision, and further reductions to services could affect recycling rates.
The YouGov poll of 2,000 UK adults showed that:
- Recycling and waste services follow only social services, emergency services and education in people’s priority lists for council spending.
- Spending on HWRCs is more important than recycling collections and even street lighting.
- Almost a quarter of people visit their HWRC at least every month, and 64% have used their local HWRC in the last year.
- A third of people want to be able to recycle more items and would like their HWRCs to be achieving higher overall recycling rates.
- One in three said it was important that HWRCs remained free to use and had longer opening hours.
The survey also highlighted the postcode lottery of HWRC provision, with some people saying their local HWRC was “excellent” or “efficient” while others reported a long wish list calling for:
- A charity repair and re-use shop
- Accepting a wider range of materials
- Better accessibility for people without cars
- Longer opening hours
- Reduced restrictions on vehicle size
- More HWRCs (and fewer site closures) to reduce queueing time
Steve Longdon, Regional Director for FCC Environment said: “How a council manages its HWRCs has wide impacts on the community, from encouraging ever more recycling to supporting local charities with repair and upcycling schemes.”
FCC Environment runs 96 HWRCs for 24 local authorities around the country, and has focused on improving HWRC service with novel tactics such as resident permits and popular re-use shops.
“This YouGov poll shows clearly that residents really value local facilities and moreover they are valuable community assets.”
“This YouGov poll shows clearly that residents really value local facilities and moreover they are valuable community assets. Residents have increasingly high expectations when it comes to recycling and re-use at HWRCs so let’s harness that enthusiasm and put residents at the heart of developing such resources to maximise reduced budgets and the use-experience.”
A year into its new pricing and re-use strategy, FCC Environment is sharing its proven and reliable HWRC savings formula:
- At re3 HWRCs (run in partnership by Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham borough councils and FCC Environment), non-household waste is charged for by volume or the number of items, rather than by vehicle type. Bracknell Forest’s executive member for environment, Cllr Dorothy Hayes MBE said the new charging structure was “fairer, more cost-effective and efficient”.
- FCC’s upcycling shop in partnership with Wigan Borough Council and local charity The Brick sells salvaged, repaired and refurbished items to help ease poverty for homeless people in Wigan.
- A partnership between Barnsley Council, Cycle Penistone and FCC Environment recovers bicycles from HWRCs to repair, rent and sell them at affordable prices. The programme supports a thriving apprenticeship scheme and employs five part-time staff. Jill Bramall, Director, Cycle Penistone said: “The launch of the recycling scheme through partnership with the household waste recycling centres has been one of the best thing to happen for Cycle Penistone CIC and I’m sure most of the customers who buy the bikes would say the same.”
