People are invited to share their views on options for future waste and recycling services in Westmorland and Furness.
Following on from initial engagement in November and December, Westmorland and Furness Council wants to know people’s thoughts about options like sizes of containers, frequency of collections and full or partial subscription charges for green waste collections.
Results will be used to help finalise the design of the new-look services – with the first changes being rolled out before the end of the year.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council’s cabinet member for climate, biodiversity and environmental services, said: “We want to reduce waste, increase recycling, and provide improved services for our residents.
“To achieve this, we have said we want to create a new single waste and recycling service for the whole of Westmorland and Furness, a service that makes it easier and more convenient for people to recycle more and waste less, and that is more reliable, cost-effective and better for the environment.
“We want to involve our communities in helping us to design the new-look services and we have already had some excellent feedback from nearly 3,000 people at the end of last year.
“This has helped us better understand people’s thoughts on the current waste and recycling collection services in your area.
“Thanks to that feedback we’ve been trialling different collection methods and containers, including a trial of co-mingled recycling in Ulverston and a trial of wheelie bins in parts of the Eden area that currently have bags for general waste collections.
“Residents in those trial areas have been telling us how they have found the new arrangements and whether it is making it easier for them to recycle more and waste less.
“We have also started to roll-out the kerbside collection of beverage cartons, such as Tetrapak, starting in the Eden area, after feedback that people wanted to be able to recycle these types of items more easily.
“Now we have used all this information to come up with some options for how new collection services could look and we would love to hear people’s views on the options being considered.’’
The council stressed the proposals were only options at this stage.
Options for general waste
Do nothing
This option would not support the council’s aims to reduce waste and increase recycling, nor its vision to have a fair and equitable waste and recycling service and would mean current inconsistencies and differences between the three areas would remain.
Weekly collections
Just over half of residents currently receive weekly collections, but the capacity of the bins/bags used now is less than the capacity of 240 litre wheeled bins, which would be used if there were fortnightly collections. A weekly collection for everyone would be more costly as it will require additional vehicles and staffing and would increase carbon emissions.
Fortnightly collections
Almost half of residents currently receive fortnightly waste collections. This option would provide 240 litre wheelie bins for everyone. Using 240 litre wheelie bins would mean the capacity for general waste would remain the same or increase for everyone and the same volume of waste would be collected, but over a longer timeframe. This option would be more cost effective, requiring fewer vehicle journeys and resulting in reduced carbon emissions.
The initial assessment has suggested the option which has the best fit is fortnightly collections of general waste, the council said.
Options for recycling
Do nothing
This option would not support the council’s aims to reduce waste and increase recycling, nor its vision to have a fair and equitable waste and recycling service and would mean current inconsistencies and differences between the three areas would remain.
Weekly collections
The council does not currently offer weekly collections of recycling. The introduction of weekly recycling collections would result in a higher cost for the service. Although this may contribute to improved recycling rates, the environmental benefits of the improved recycling rates would be offset by the increase in vehicle journeys and associated carbon emissions.
Fortnightly collections
All residents receive fortnightly collections. There would be no significant change for residents.
Alternate fortnightly
Alternate fortnightly collections means that residents would receive one bin (paper and card) emptied one fortnight and the other bin (glass, metal, plastics) emptied the following fortnight. This would reduce the number of vehicles required and the associated journeys and carbon emissions.
The initial assessment has suggested the options which have the best fit are fortnightly and alternate fortnightly recycling collections, the council said.
Green waste
Do nothing
Some areas currently have a separate charge for green waste collections, in other areas there is currently no charge.
The ‘no change’ option would result in unequal levels of charges across Westmorland and Furness, based on different geographic locations. Harmonising arrangements would also help improve collection performance.
No charge
Having no separate charge for green waste and offering this service to all residents would add significant additional cost to delivering the service. It is estimated a no charge service for all residents would result in budget pressures for the service in the first year of around £500,000.
Partial or full charge
Introducing a harmonised charge – either a charge for each green bin collected, or one green bin collected at no charge, but having a charge for any additional green bins – would support improvement to service performance.
The council said all types of service – full or partial charge, or no charge – would use 240 litre wheelie bins, with fortnightly collection and the initial assessment has suggested the options which have the best fit are partial or full charge.
How will the decision be reached?
The feedback will be considered alongside independent assessment of factors such as how the options fit with national legislation, do they make services fairer, how would they impact the environment, whether they are sustainable and whether they could contribute to more efficient and cost-effective services.
Councillors will make a final decision on the new-look services later this year, with the first changes being rolled out by the end of this year.
For more information about the options and to complete the consultation survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/wasteoptions
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.
The survey opened today, May 14, and will run for eight weeks.
