There is inadequate “on the go” collection infrastructure in the UK for both collection of recycling and residual waste material, according to a RECycling Of Used Plastics Limited (RECOUP) survey.
RECOUP carried out a survey of local authorities in the UK with the aim of gaining an insight into the service provision and collection “on the go”, and nearly 100 councils across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland responded to the call for information.
There is an increasing shift from Government, media and the public around the leakage of used packaging into the natural environment. Reducing litter, disposal “on the go”, ie, in public spaces such as high streets and parks, and use of deposit return schemes are all being debated.
Disposal of used packaging away from home is a key strategic issue to tackle littering and promote positive disposal behaviour, including recycling, RECOUP says.
“We found that the operational difficulties outweigh any potential benefits to ‘on the go’ collections we would have gained through contribution to our combined recycling rate.”
It says following the survey, a consistent picture soon became apparent that on the go disposal in the UK was “failing”.
RECOUP technical manager, Steve Morgan, commented: “We are increasingly seeing the priority placed to ‘on the go’ services to reduce litter and also provide services for the public to recycle away from home. This survey shows the scale of the challenges that local authorities are facing to provide effective collection services.”
The survey found councils believe there is inadequate “on the go” collection infrastructure for both collection of recycling and residual waste material. There were key barriers reported, particularly around developing a recycling “on the go” infrastructure:
- High levels of contamination
- Inadequate budget for consumer communications and education
- Procurement, maintenance and collection costs
For many councils the cost vs benefit does not add up, RECOUP says. There are significant costs in providing ‘on the go’ collection services and high levels of contamination from the material collected, and many local authorities reported that the budget can be “better spent” on increasing quantities and reducing contamination in kerbside collections.
RECOUP says the survey makes a clear case that investment is needed to prove the business case for “on the go” collection schemes.
To do this effectively, it was reported good data is needed to assess costs and potential benefits, with funding needed for procurement and installation of bins, scheme maintenance and collection of material, and also for consumer communication and education to promote effective use of the schemes.
Steve Brunt, joint assistant director streetscene at Bolsover & North East Derbyshire District Councils, said: “We found that the operational difficulties outweigh any potential benefits to ‘on the go’ collections we would have gained through contribution to our combined recycling rate. The cost vs benefit needs to be proven. We have concentrated on increasing performance kerbside dry recycling and organic waste collections.”
The Local Authority Disposal ‘on the go’ Survey report is now available to download from the RECOUP website.
