Food waste bins could soon be introduced in West Berks

The petition, started by Sukey Russell-Hayward last year, called for a wider range of plastics to be collected for recycling at the kerbside. 

Specifically, the 2,356 who signed the petition wanted improve collecting and recycling of domestic plastic waste, like single-use plastics.

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Plastic pots, tubs and trays are not currently recyclable at the kerbside in West Berkshire, nor are polystyrene, plastic bags and film.

Kofi Adu-Gyamfi, waste manager at West Berkshire Council, said it would be both too expensive to to recycle these plastics, and premature — as the government is making big changes to recycling in 2022.

He made the comments in a report to the full council, which will meet on January 9 to debate the petition and vote on what to do next. 

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Mr Adu-Gyamfi recommended waiting until two or three years to change plastic collections, and instead look at bringing in separate food waste bins. 

He said: “The council will actively explore options for the separate collection of food waste at the kerbside. This will achieve considerably more environmental benefits and value for money.”

If additional plastics were sorted by the council, Mr Adu-Gyamfi said it could cost up to £1 million to modify the Padworth recycling centre, plus £100,000 extra each year to collect the rubbish. 

Another concern was what would happen to these plastics following collection, as some  recyclable waste is reportedly being sent to landfills overseas. 

Mr Adu-Gyamfi said: “If exported overseas as done by many of the UK authorities who collect these additional plastics, then the council will have limited control over what happens to the waste (whether it is effectively recycled or ends up in landfills or rivers).” 

Food waste currently makes up about a quarter of general waste in West Berkshire. 

About 68,400 households in West Berkshire have their waste collected at the kerbside by the council. 49.5 per cent of that waste is recycled or composted, which is higher than the UK average of 42.5 per cent. 

Reading Borough Council sends 31.9 per cent of household waste for reuse, recycling, or composting — and new food waste bins will be introduced there in autumn this year. Meanwhile Slough Borough Council manages just 23.3 per cent. 

The government is introducing a new recycling policy, a draft of which was first published in December 2018. The changes include requiring all English councils to collect the same core dry recyclable rubbish from households from April 2023.

The new policy is also proposing to make producers pay more for plastic waste. Mr Adu-Gyamfi said: “These costs are being borne disproportionately — about 90 per cent — by local authorities.” 

Producers will likely switch from harder-to-recycle packaging in response to the policy changes. This could mean rubbish in 2023 will be different from currently, so changes to plastic recycling before then could be redundant, according to the waste manager’s report.