GENERAL waste collections will be reduced from fortnightly to once every three weeks in a bid to encourage more recycling and reduce landfill in Somerset.
Instead, more materials will be eligible for weekly recycling collections as part of Somerset Waste Partnership’s (SWP) ‘Recycle More’ service, which will be rolled out across Somerset in 2020.
A spokesperson for SWP said, “In addition to the dozen or so materials – including food waste – already collected weekly, Recycle More will pick up a wide range of new items, including plastic pots, tubs and trays; Tetra Paks and other beverage cartons; small electrical items; and household batteries.
“Taking far more recyclable household material each week, Recycle More will help empty rubbish bins, which will be collected every three weeks.”
Frome resident, Gary Thomas, has welcomed the news. “It will encourage people to recycle more as putting recycled items in the general waste is less of an option, or they will take it up to the skip,” said Gary. “This is one way life is changing, so people need to come on board!”
The new service will be delivered by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (SUEZ), who were awarded the contract by SWP this month.
The SWP spokesperson said, “The new contract will see SUEZ deliver SWP’s new Recycle More service, operating new vehicles and collecting a far wider range of recycling every week, including more plastic packaging.
“Worth £210million for its initial 10-year duration, with an option to extend for another 10 years, the contract will employ more than 460 people locally, with no redundancies expected and extra staff required.
“Recycle More is one part of the transformation of all Somerset waste services, with upgraded recycle sites, and a new deal agreed to switch almost all rubbish from being landfilled in Somerset to generate electricity at a brand new Resource Recovery Centre in Avonmouth.
“These major changes will ensure that the vast majority of material discarded from homes is either recycled or produces power. Full Recycle More details will be sent to every home well in advance.
“SUEZ currently successfully operates contracts elsewhere that have expanded the range of items residents are able to recycle and introduced three-weekly general refuse collections. These services have been well-received by residents, raised local recycling rates and cut the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.
“Recycle More has been fully tested in a long-term, large-scale trial in Somerset that saw recycling levels jump, rubbish tonnages fall, very few problems – all of which were easily resolved, no fly-tipping, and overwhelming support: the post-trial survey showed 84% approval rating for Recycle More’s extra recycling and less frequent rubbish collections.”
