Help shape future of recycling and waste collections

People in Westmorland & Furness are invited to help shape the future of the area’s waste and recycling collections.

The local authority is gathering people’s thoughts on current services in their area – what they like, what they would like to change and what they would like to see in the future.

The feedback received will help inform the council’s emerging options for creating consistent waste and recycling services across the whole of Westmorland and Furness, it said.

The options will be considered early next year and a vision for the revised service will be completed by mid-2025.

This will be subject to further engagement and agreement and Westmorland & Furness Council said people could expect to see the first changes being implemented from late 2025, with the majority of service revisions in place by the end of 2027.

Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council’s cabinet member for climate, biodiversity and environmental services, said: “Our aim is to reduce waste, increase recycling, and provide services for our residents that are consistent across the whole of the Westmorland and Furness area.

“We also want to make it easier and more convenient for people to recycle and minimise their waste.

“We want to involve our communities in helping us to plan what future services will look like, and have today launched our Community Conversation on waste and recycling collections.

“This includes a survey that residents can complete to tell us what they think about current services in their area, how they use those services and what they’d like to see in the future.

“We will also be holding some in-person events, where people can come along to learn more about what we are looking to achieve, ask questions and take part in workshops. We will be holding these events in each of the former district areas and there will also be an on-line event for anyone unable to attend the in-person sessions.

“The feedback from these events and the online survey will provide us with valuable information that will help us to develop our vision for consistent waste and recycling services, so every household is receiving the same level of service wherever they are in Westmorland and Furness. We want to see services that are better performing, more efficient and that make it easier for people to recycle more and waste less.’’

Currently, Westmorland and Furness Council delivers 7.5 million collections annually to 115,000 households.

Councillor Archibald added: “It’s vitally important to us that we reflect the views of our communities when we are planning the future of such important services that affect every household in Westmorland and Furness. I would encourage as many people as possible to complete our survey or attend one of the in-person events to share your views.’’

To be part of the Community Conversation on the future of waste and recycling services in Westmorland and Furness, complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WFwastesurvey

The survey will close on December 20.

Paper copies of the survey will be available in the receptions of the council’s main public buildings at Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall and Voreda House, Penrith, as well as council libraries.

In-person events will take place: