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You are here: CIWM  >  Publications  >  Latest News  >  Report Suggests Link Between Comingled Collection And Increased Recycling Rates

Report Suggests Link Between Comingled Collection And Increased Recycling Rates

1 June 2011

Research published by consultancy WYG propose councils that adopt a alternate weekly collections of commingled dry recycling and residual waste are likely to see a significant increase in their recycling rates

Review of Kerbside Collection Schemes 2009/10, assesses the top performing councils in England for kerbside dry recycling in the past financial year and its findings suggest that the highest dry recycling rates are achieved with a 100 percent commingled collection that is collected on a fortnightly basis with at least five materials being collected.

The research, conducted by environmental experts from global consultancy WYG, and supported by collections contractor Biffa Municipal, found that these service elements were used by most of the top 30 councils in the kerbside dry recycling league table for 2009-10, as compiled by WYG from government-published data.

Of the 13 councils who improved their recycling diversion by more than 1kg per household per week 11 moved to a wheeled bin service for dry recycling.

Len Attrill, WYG project director, said: "The evidence is irrefutable. Factors like commingling, wheeled bins and fortnightly refuse collection can do markedly lift recycling performance while often saving costs. In today's tough climate of budget austerity, it's vital that councils make sound decisions about important local services."

The research also suggested that the use of 240 litre wheeled bins was recommended to optimise commingled collections, while residual waste wheeled bins should be reduced from 180 litres to 140 litres. This use of wheeled bins helps increase yield and also reduce litter or tearing, WYG claims.

To support its argument, WYG highlighted research carried out by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in Wales, which showed that commingled collections had a 12 percent higher average yield than weekly kerbside sort schemes and 22 percent more than kerbside sort for fortnightly collections.

WYG also claimed that 11 of the 13 most improved councils over the past financial year had adopted commingled dry recycling collections in wheeled bins. In addition, of the top 13 most improved councils, four moved to smaller refuse bins for residual waste and six moved residual waste collections to a fortnightly round.

"The report adds unbiased, objective evidence to the compendium of knowledge that local authorities should, indeed must, use to inform their decision-making on how to improve local recycling," added Attrill.

For the full report CLICK HERE

Look out for an in-depth analysis of the report in the upcoming July issue of the CIWM Journal

Darrel Moore