CIWM responds to CLG announcement on funding for weekly collections

30th September 2011

Responding to the announcement by Secretary of State Eric Pickles of additional funding for weekly waste collections, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is questioning whether the focus of the £250 million fund will deliver the best environmental and economic outcomes.

In the last decade, the UK has seen a phenomenal rise in recycling thanks to the efforts of local councils and householders. This has been achieved by investing in more convenient and well designed recycling services for a growing range of materials and efforts to reduce the amount of unsorted general waste that is sent to landfill - at a significant cost to councils, taxpayers and the environment.

To support and maintain this progress, the additional money could more usefully have been focused on delivering improvements in three key areas: supporting more recycling, either by expanding the range of materials collected or improving participation; supporting an expansion in food waste collections, which is the main area of householder concern regarding collection frequency; and supporting waste prevention initiatives.

The majority of UK households have demonstrated that they understand the environmental and economic benefits of recycling more and reducing the amount of waste that sent to landfill. It is important that any widespread change to collection services does not undermine this change in our behaviour or encourage us to return to a 'throw away' mentality.

In economic terms, with so many constraints on council budgets, it is important to ensure that this policy initiative does not lock local councils into significantly higher waste collection costs, for which we will all have to foot the bill long after the Weekly Collections Support Scheme funding has run dry.

It is also essential that local decision making is not compromised. Despite many assertions to the contrary, waste collection has been and should continue to be a local decision, with councils able to design services to suit the particular needs of their area and their residents. It would be wholly inappropriate and contrary to the spirit of 'localism' for central government to use this funding as a mechanism to push councils to make changes where they are not appropriate to the local needs.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is the leading professional body for the waste management sector representing over 7000 individuals in the UK and overseas. Established in 1898, CIWM is a non profit-making organisation, dedicated to the promotion of professional competence amongst waste managers. CIWM seeks to raise standards for those working in and with the sector by producing best practice guidance, developing educational and training initiatives, and providing information on key waste-related issues. Comprehensive information about CIWM can be found at www.ciwm.co.uk

2. Text from Press Alert from CLG -