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Weekly Collection Fund Officially Opens

3 February 2012

A fund of up to quarter of a billion pounds for councils that want to revert back to weekly bin collections is now open

In September last year the government announced its intention to introduce a new weekly collection support scheme for councils to retain or reinstate weekly residual waste and recycling services, which the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) believes will deliver benefits to the environment and taxpayers.

The scheme is additional funding to local government, financed from savings made to the DCLG's central budget.

The new fund will help support reward-schemes where people are rewarded for recycling, and also intends to tackle "bin blight" and the proliferation of bins, by supporting new technology where possible.

Promoting innovation, better procurement and joint working across local authorities are also aims of the find, it was announced, and it intends to support a range of local initiatives to increase recycling and deliver weekly collections.

Communities and Local government secretary, Eric Pickles, said: "Rubbish collections are the most visible service that people get for their £120 a month council tax bill. But barmy bin rules have made putting out your rubbish more complicated than solving a Rubik's cube. The public are fed up of all the bin do's and bin don'ts.

Caroline Spelman, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, said: "We want to help people to go green by making it easier for them to do the right thing. This scheme will encourage councils to provide the services we believe residents really want, without sacrificing the environment."

Matthew Farrow, the Environmental Services Association's Director of Policy, added: "Waste management companies want to collect and manage waste in ways which are both user-friendly for the householder and benefit the environment. So we welcome the way in which the Fund prioritises environmental criteria and services that meet the needs of householders.

"We also support the encouragement given to local authorities to think innovatively and to work with the private sector. We look forward to working with their local authority customers to help them make best use of the opportunities the fund provides."

Darrel Moore