Recycling rates across Cheshire East could drop if the Government goes ahead with proposals which could see each household have up to six bins, councillors fear.
The Government wants a more consistent approach to the way waste is collected and recycled across England and has published consultations on new waste management and funding changes for 2023.
Among the proposals are a requirement for food waste to be collected separately and weekly from all properties by 2023.
And items such as glass, paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and cans could all have to be placed in separate containers.
If this becomes law, as part of the Environment Bill, it will cause a major headache for Cheshire East.
At present the borough’s residents place all dry recyclable materials in one silver bin and food waste goes into the garden [brown] bin for collection fortnightly.
The matter is due to be discussed at the council’s meeting of the environment and communities committee on Wednesday, July 7.
In a report due to go before the committee Frank Jordan, executive director place at Cheshire East Council, states: “With regard to the collection of dry recycling, the expectation is that these will be collected separately – glass, paper and card, metal and plastic.
“There will be significant implications on our current system and it is yet to be determined the best approach – small containers in the silver? Replacement of the silver bin with a range of smaller ones?”
And he described the implications of a separate weekly collection of food waste as ‘far reaching’.
“A new collection regime will need to be introduced and carefully designed to ensure this is as efficient as possible, minimising any increase in carbon measures,” said Mr Jordan in the report.
“The council may also consider mitigation measures to accompany the increase in food waste collections such as a reduced size residual bin introduced at the same time.”
The Environment Bill, which aims to encourage everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle, is not yet law and changes could be made.
Many Cheshire East councillors fear the recycling rate in the borough will drop if the existing ‘simple’ silver bin system is replaced by one where residents have to sort their recycling into separate containers.
Council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) says he has made his representations through the Local Government Association.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service a ‘one size fits all approach’ isn’t the best and the silver bin collection works well in Cheshire East.
“Where their (the Government) aims may be laudable, the way they’re trying to do it will have a reverse effect in areas like Cheshire East which already has high recycling rates,” said Cllr Corcoran.
“The other problem is food waste recycling. They’re saying it would be weekly food collections, and we have got fortnightly collections in the brown [garden waste] bin.”
Kerbside food waste collections were only introduced in Cheshire East last year and many residents have only just got used to the idea of putting their food waste in with the garden waste for collection.
Cheshire East will discuss the implications of the Environment Bill on waste and recycling services at its environment and communities meeting which takes place at Sandbach Town Hall at 10am on Wednesday
Do all the people making these rules live in big houses where they may not be able to see their own bins!!! Millions of families don’t have that luxury. Already thousands of streets of houses (semi’s/terraced) look a total mess with the existing bins propped up outside the front door.
Maybe the rule makers will accommodate any extra bins on their land. Employ people or invest in equipment that sorts the waste for recycling, don’t make Britain look like a dump for the world to see.