The introduction of the Island of Guernsey’s new “pay as you throw” system will begin next year, according to States of Guernsey officials.
Ahead of the introduction, from September this year, new collections will also be introduced for food waste and glass recycling.
This will “give islanders time to familiarise themselves with the revised collections before the new charges come into effect,” the States of Guernsey have said.
Food waste accounts for more than 40% of the contents of household’s residual waste. With the new food waste collections being weekly, it’s hoped households will reduce the remaining residual material, so this can be collected less frequently.
This general refuse will become a fortnightly service for most, to encourage waste reduction and recycling, reduce overall collection costs, and help households minimise their waste bills.
Glass will be collected on the alternate weeks, and other recycling will continue to be picked up fortnightly.
The new collection arrangements will begin from 2 September, a few weeks before the new transfer station at Longue Hougue starts operations. This facility will process waste from households and businesses prior to being exported for energy recovery or recycling.
Pay As You Throw
Currently, households receive an annual bill from their parish, to pay for the cost of collecting and disposing of their waste. The average charge for 2018 is expected to be around £130, but will be calculated for each household based on the Tax on Real Property value of their home.
From 2019, when the new pay as you throw system is introduced, parishes will only charge for the collections. The States will then recover the costs of any subsequent processing, treatment and disposal.
That will include a payment per bag of waste produced, using a system of prepaid stickers. This will be equivalent to putting a stamp on a letter to pay the cost of postage, it says. It will only apply to general residual waste.
Once all the new services and facilities are introduced, the average cost per household is anticipated to be between £5.75 and £7 a week, depending on what decision is made on the capital funding. That total includes the charge for collections, paid to the parishes.
In addition, an annual fixed charge could also be levied per household, to reflect some of the fixed costs of the various household waste and recycling services provided by the States.
The Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure (CfE&I) and States’ Trading Supervisory Board (STSB) have been directed to prepare further proposals for the implementation of the new charges. Those are expected to be debated by the States in April, and will confirm the various charges.
The proposals will include options to fund from the States’ Capital Reserve some or all of the £32m investment in new waste management facilities at Longue Hougue. That cost was originally to be funded through a loan, to be repaid from household and commercial waste charges over the next 20 years.
Once all the new services and facilities are introduced, the average cost per household is anticipated to be between £5.75 and £7 a week, depending on what decision is made on the capital funding. That total includes the charge for collections, paid to the parishes.
The States will also decide how much of the cost, if any, should be paid through an annual “standing charge”. That will determine the price to be paid per bag.
One option would see all the cost initially put on bag charges. Households would then pay between £3.50 and £4.50 for each bag they put out. If an annual fixed fee is levied, it is likely that the pay as you throw charge would be less than £3.50 per bag.
The States Trading Supervisory Board previously indicated that an annual £115 fixed charge would result in a bag charge of £2.50.
