Residents are being urged to have their say on plans for weekly food waste collections across Cheshire East – and to reduce black bin collections to every three weeks.
The collections are part of the “Simpler Recycling Scheme” legislation announced by the Government in October 2023.
All local authorities must collect food waste from their residents on a weekly basis by no later than April 1 2026.
CEC says the impact will add £1.5 million a year to its operating spends.
It’s not clear if Government will compensate local authorities.
To cut costs, CEC also wants to change its black bin collections to once every three weeks.
If this is approved, the change would be delivered at the same time as the weekly food waste collections begin.
Residents now have a chance to air their views in a public consultation which closes on 20 October 2024.
To take part, visit: https://surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/HouseholdWaste2024/
Cllr Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “Any shortfall in funding from the Government to deliver weekly food waste collections will place an even bigger pressure on the council’s finances – we are already forecasting a funding gap of £100m over the next four years.
“That’s why – along with continuing to encourage and educate people to reduce, reuse and recycle more of their waste – we need to look at the most cost effective and least risky solution for introducing weekly food waste collections, which can also meet the deadline set by the Government.”
The preferred option for food waste collections would see residents issued with a kerbside “food caddy” which would be larger than a kitchen caddy but smaller than a wheelie bin.
One week, the food waste in these caddies would be emptied into the garden waste vehicles doing their rounds.
On the alternate weeks, food waste in the caddies would be collected separately by a dedicated smaller bin wagon.
Cllr Warren added: “As a local authority, we must move ahead to implement the changes required by the Simpler Recycling Scheme legislation and our preferred option for doing this reduces the demand that it would place on our existing fleet of bin wagons and staff.
“Evidence also shows that by collecting black bins once every three weeks, it could increase recycling rates by almost 5%, as well as reduce the financial burden of introducing weekly food waste collections in Cheshire East by more than £1m each year compared to us continuing with fortnightly black bin collections.
“We do understand though that with any change like this, there could be potential impacts and that is why we are proposing to invest in a number of mitigation measures.
“These include recruiting more waste education officers and additional community enforcement officers, who will be targeted to areas where current data shows need is greatest.
“This will be done in collaboration with town and parish councils.”
Feedback from the consultation will be considered before final proposals are brought to committee for a decision later this year.
“Evidence also shows that by collecting black bins once every three weeks, it could increase recycling rates by almost 5%,”
– Reference to source of evidence please, plus details of follow-up review to check effectiveness.
How do they envisage households who produce a lot of food wastage, putting all that in a little caddy. Why can’t food wastage still be put into the garden bin, as wasn’t that new recycling centre built to accommodate the separation of food and grass wastage. Indeed, when the new charge for the grass collection came into force, if you didn’t take up that option, then you could put food wastage into the black bin. 3 bins this year, how many next year. Hope these little caddies don’t produce more vermin in areas. Inept CEC.
Simple if you had not charged for the garden waste bin,then we could have continued with putting are food waste in that,which was minimal by the way ,because who can afford to throw food away.
But because this council is hell bent on charging for every service it can it decided to charge for the garden waste collection, unfortunately under government legislation you
can not make a separate charge ontop of your council tax to remove food waste.
So guess what ? the council then tell us to put the food waste in the black bin while charging you for the garden waste, now they have created there own problem, what can we do ,I no let’s spend more money on yet another plastic bin and then collect that every week,I have more bloody bins than the local tip,time I started charging the council ground rent to store them on my property .
Just an idea why don’t you just collect the black bin every week and the recycling every two weeks, no need for new bins or bin trucks.
Please don’t tell me you want to keep the food waste separate, the council built a garden and food recycling plant near Leighton hospital years ago ,that’s why you used to put your food waste in your garden bin ,but since they now charge you for that you can no longer put your food waste in it.
We are being run by inefficient people who are treating us like idiot’s, time to wake up people and stop them making these stupid decisions that we the tax payers have to fund.
Don’t envisage using the food waste caddy tbh, we’ll just continue putting our food waste in our garden waste bin.