Recycling | LocalGov


Call for kerbside collections amidst battery-fire crisis 28/04/2025 Universal kerbside collections for waste batteries and electricals across the UK could save £6bn by boosting recycling and tackling the battery fire 'epidemic'.
Vent-Axia Supports Global Recycling Day 2025 18/03/2025 Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia celebrated Global Recycling Day, which took place on 18 March 2025.
Digital waste tracking postponed one year 07/02/2025 The implementation of digital waste tracking is to be delayed until April 2026 due to the ‘complexities of the project’, according to the Government.
One in 10 councils considering bin collection cuts 05/02/2025 Forty-two local authorities – or one in 10 – are considering cuts to waste collection services, new data reveals.
Who’s leading the way on waste reduction and food climate action? 30/01/2025 Annie Pickering, operations director at Climate Emergency UK, looks at which councils are leading the way when it comes to helping residents reduce waste.
Deposit Return Scheme legislation comes into force 27/01/2025 Legislation for a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England and Northern Ireland has come into force today.
Campaigners warn of ‘vapocalypse’ 16/12/2024 The number of vape products being thrown out or recycled incorrectly every week has risen from five million last year to an estimated 8.2 million.
Simpler Recycling: Households to be issued with four bins 29/11/2024 Local authorities are set to issue households with up to four bins as a default to separate their waste and recycling.
Councils call for full waste service costs under EPR 23/10/2024 Council bosses have urged the Government to ensure local authorities receive the full costs for delivering waste and recycling services under new packaging reforms.
Recycling Week: The disposable vapes challenge 15/10/2024 Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, looks at the recycling challenge the surge in disposable vapes poses for local authorities.
Recycling Week: The pass down of ETS costs to councils 14/10/2024 LARAC chair Cathy Cook discusses the impact on local authorities of the proposed expansion of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Recycling Week: New government, new direction? 14/10/2024 Lee Marshall, Director of Innovation and Technical Services at CIWM, considers what the new Government means for the waste and recycling sector.
Council to close tip amid £7m improvement costs 23/08/2024 Kirklees Council is set to close a household waste recycling centre (HWRC) to cut costs after discovering that work needed on the site would cost £7m.
Cleaner streets: sorting out the good ideas from the rubbish ones 21/08/2024 Beau Zilesnick from the environmental charity Hubbub, which collaborates with councils to run behaviour change campaigns, picks up six key litter lessons.
‘Massive disparities’ in number of bins councils collect 20/08/2024 There are ‘massive disparities’ in the number of bins that UK councils ask residents to sort their rubbish into, a new survey has revealed.
Tower Hamlets tops list of worst recyclers 15/07/2024 The London borough of Tower Hamlets is the worst area for recycling in England, new research has revealed.
Thousands of bins missed as council rolls out new service 19/06/2024 Denbighshire County Council has apologised after waste from thousands of households was not collected as a new recycling service was rolled out.
Biffa sues Scottish Government for £55m over DRS 16/05/2024 Biffa has confirmed it is taking legal action against the Scottish Government for losses incurred after the scrapping of the deposit return scheme (DRS).
Government advisers urge overhaul of infrastructure funding 16/05/2024 Councils should be given more funding to play a greater role in developing infrastructure projects, according to Government advisers.
Simpler Recycling: Recyclables to be collected in one bin 09/05/2024 Councils will be able to collect recyclables, such as plastic, metal, glass, paper, and card, in one container as part of the Simpler Recycling reforms.
DRS roll-out set for 2027 25/04/2024 The nationwide roll-out of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will begin in 2027, according to the Government.
Council eyes cutting back rubbish collection 02/04/2024 A council could reduce how often it picks up household rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted to once a month despite Government proposals.
Councils get £295m boost for food waste collections 26/03/2024 Councils in England will share up to £295m in funding to help them introduce weekly food waste collections, Recycling Minister Robbie Moore has announced.
Coffee pod recycling scheme hits million milestone 27/02/2024 An initiative run by Cherwell District Council has seen more than a million coffee pods – weighing 16.4 tonnes – recycled in eight months.
Councils call for ‘autonomy’ under EPR 26/02/2024 Councils must still have the autonomy to run waste services according to local need under new packaging reforms, the Local Government Association has said.
Two thirds of councils expect to miss waste reform deadline 15/02/2024 Councils have urged Government to reconsider its ‘unrealistic’ waste reform deadline after research found authorities face shortfalls to fund the changes.
MPs at odds with public on packaging measures 17/01/2024 Appetite for government intervention to reduce the use of packaging, either through taxes or bans, is lower among MPs than with the public, new research has found.
Councils banned from charging for small-scale DIY waste disposal 02/01/2024 Local authorities in England are no longer able to charge households to leave small-scale DIY waste at recycling centres in a move aimed at tacking fly-tipping.
Wales passes workplace recycling law 08/12/2023 New Workplace Recycling Regulations have been passed in Wales, which will require all businesses to separate recyclable materials.
Simpler Recycling: The implications for local authorities 04/12/2023 Lee Marshall, Policy and External Affairs Director, CIWM looks at the Government’s recycling reforms and what they mean for local authorities.
Oxfordshire councils install vape recycling bins 04/12/2023 Three local authorities in Oxfordshire have joined forces to install 60 new recycling collection points for vapes across the county.
'Lack of clarity' puts recycling reforms at risk 01/12/2023 A ‘lack of clarity’ around the Government’s recycling reforms is preventing councils from preparing for the upcoming changes, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Sheffield food waste collections delayed by 15 years 16/11/2023 A plan for weekly food waste collections from homes in Sheffield could be delayed by up to 15 years.
Councils welcome waste reform flexibility but await details on costs 23/10/2023 Councils were relieved not to lose all local discretion in the Government’s waste collection reforms but have said questions remain, including over funding.
Solving the UK’s 'wishcycling' problem 09/10/2023 Chris Williams, founder and CEO of UK cleantech ISB Global sets out how to fix the confusing state of recycling in the UK.
Seven bins? The future of consistent collections 04/10/2023 Lee Marshall, CIWM, looks at the Government’s claims to be scrapping the much-fabled ‘seven bins’ policy and the future of the consistent collections reform.
Liverpool proposes to insource waste collections 03/10/2023 Liverpool City Council is to bring its waste collection service in-house in a bid to improve recycling rates.
Concern companies not aware of single-use plastics ban 28/09/2023 The Local Government Association (LGA) has raised concerns that businesses may not know about the ban on certain single-use plastic items.
Screeching U-turn on waste proposals 21/09/2023 The Government has claimed it is scrapping its ‘top-down approach’ on recycling while still ensuring ‘all homes in England recycle the same materials’.
Nottinghamshire waste staff to strike 15/09/2023 The GMB union has announced a week-long strike at waste recycling plants in Nottinghamshire.
'Clarity' promised on waste reforms 12/09/2023 More certainty on the Government’s waste reform programme has been promised after mandarins were taken to task over delays.
Number of vapes discarded each week soars to five million 08/09/2023 Five million single-use vapes are thrown away in the UK every week, an almost four-fold increase on last year, according to research from Material Focus.
EPR scheme payments may come as late as December 2025 17/08/2023 Councils may not receive their first payments under the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme until as late as December 2025, The MJ has learnt.
Recycled soil used to create Liverpool’s largest park 08/08/2023 Liverpool City Council has used recycled soil from a former landfill site to create one of the largest transformed urban green spaces in England.
The cost of the EPR delay 02/08/2023 Steve Palfrey, chair of ADEPT’s Waste Group, looks at the implications for councils of the delay in implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Councils call for urgent clarity after further EPR delay 25/07/2023 Council chiefs have called for ‘clear timelines’ on waste policy after the Government announced a further delay to extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Councils call for ban of disposable vapes 17/07/2023 Council chiefs have called on the Government to ban disposable e-cigarettes over concerns about their impact on the environment and young people.
Watchdog warns councils still in dark on waste reforms 30/06/2023 The Government ‘still lacks effective long-term plans to reduce waste,’ according to a watchdog’s new report.
Retailers criticise ‘extended producer responsibility’ scheme 02/06/2023 A plan to make food manufacturers pay councils for the collection and recycling of packaging waste is facing opposition from retailers and manufacturers.
North Somerset Council trials innovative bins 16/05/2023 North Somerset Council is claiming a first with an innovative new way to collect recycling and waste.
Reusing household items could save £63m a year 24/04/2023 Councils should take the lead in encouraging the reuse of household items to help save millions of pounds a year, a waste management company has said.
The recycling system is in need of an overhaul – so what’s the solution? 19/04/2023 Dr Helen Holmes, lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester’s Sustainable Consumption Institute, looks at how the recycling system can be reformed.
‘Postcode lottery’ undermines plastic recycling 29/03/2023 People are being put off recycling their plastic because of the complexity of messaging and varying systems in different places, according to a new report.
Top five recycling councils all districts 27/03/2023 District councils are leading the way in recycling waste, new Government figures suggest.
Islington council to invest £2m to improve recycling facilities 16/03/2023 Recycling facilities on estates across the borough of Islington are set to benefit from £2m of council investment.
Three-weekly waste collections boosts Mid Devon’s recycling rates 24/02/2023 The recycling rates in Mid Devon have increased in the first three months since three-weekly waste collections were introduced, the council has reported.
£165,000 fund available to make Liverpool a ‘greener place’ 20/02/2023 Community groups across Liverpool City Region are able to bid for a share of a £165,000 fund as part of a push to make the area a ‘cleaner and greener place’.
Buying less vs recycling more 31/01/2023 Buying less rather than recycling more is the best way to save the environment, argues Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy.
Deposit Return Scheme: further clarification needed 31/01/2023 Steve Palfrey, chair of ADEPT's Waste Group, discusses the Government's response to the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and calls for further clarification.
Council chiefs call for more focus on waste reduction 23/01/2023 Council leaders have called on the Government to prioritise plans to reduce the amount of waste produced rather than focusing on recycling schemes.
New fears emerge of ‘sofa mountains’ 06/01/2023 Recycling experts have called on the Government to step in amid warnings that a crackdown on disposal of upholstered furniture could lead to ‘sofa mountains’.
Council celebrates zero-landfill month 18/10/2022 North East Lincolnshire Council is celebrating after making it through September without sending any waste to landfill.
Recycling week: The advantages of anaerobic digestion 17/10/2022 Pamela Woolcock, group public sector lead, BioteCH argues that anaerobic digestion (AD) is the most sustainable process of recycling food waste.
Recycling projects in Scotland to receive £3.4m boost 29/07/2022 Three Scottish councils are set to receive a boost in their recycling services thanks to a £3.4m investment from Holyrood’s Recycling Improvement Fund.
Greenwich council reduces waste collections in move to net zero 30/06/2022 Greenwich council is reducing the number of waste collections it offers as part of the effort to cut carbon emissions and increase the rate of recycling.
Portsmouth council set to bring waste services in house 22/06/2022 Portsmouth City Council’s domestic household waste and recycling collection service is set to be delivered in house following a cabinet decision yesterday.
Changes to food waste collection and recycling: What actions do councils need to take? 17/05/2022 Ben Thomson, solicitor at Ashfords, looks at what actions councils need to take in light of the changes to food waste collection and recycling.
Government misses 50% recycling target 12/05/2022 More than 100,000 extra tonnes of rubbish was sent to landfill during lockdown, the latest figures reveal as Government misses 50% recycling target.
Red diesel ban ‘tangible threat’ to waste strategy 18/03/2022 The Chancellor has been warned that the red diesel ban is ‘counter intuitive’ and presents ‘a tangible threat’ to the Government’s waste strategy.
The case for keeping co-mingled collections while boosting food waste recycling rates 09/03/2022 Simon Christian explores how new technology can help local authorities increase the amount of household food waste they collect – without completely overhauling their current waste collection regime.
Councils demand to know more about deposit return scheme 09/02/2022 Councils are unsure about the full implications of deposit return schemes ahead of their rollout, according to new research.
Council to bring waste and recycling centres in-house 16/12/2021 Kirklees Council will bring Household Waste and Recycling Centres in-house as part of an effort to give the council more control over public-facing services.
Scottish councils awarded £13m to boost recycling 06/12/2021 The Scottish government today announced a multi-million-pound investment into local authorities to help boost the quantity and quality of recycling.
Council sets up ‘arms-length’ business to deliver key services 03/12/2021 East Suffolk Council is to create a Local Authority Trading Company (LATCo) to help it deliver key council services.
District boosts pay to tackle shortage of bin drivers 05/10/2021 South Holland District Council has agreed to increase pay for its waste and recycling teams in response to the national shortage of drivers.
Councils forced to suspend waste services due to staff shortages 20/07/2021 Several local authorities have been forced to reduce or suspend waste and recycling services due to staff having to self-isolate and a national shortage of drivers.
We must seize the opportunity to accelerate a circular economy 25/06/2021 Victoria Lawson argues that moving to a circular economy could tackle the climate crisis, shorten supply chains, support new green jobs and encourage more connected and resilient communities.
Council invests over £1m in mobile household recycling centres 16/06/2021 Birmingham City Council has invested £1.4m in a pilot project that will see a fleet of mobile household recycling centres (MHRCs) rolled out across the city.
Council ‘outraged’ by Unite decision to continue bin strike 14/05/2021 Thurrock Council has said that it is ‘disappointed’ workers in the local authority’s waste and recycling department have decided to continue pay strike.
New measures to boost recycling rates 07/05/2021 New proposals to increase the amount of household waste being recycled have been unveiled by the Government today.
Digital map reveals 'lacklustre recycling growth' 26/04/2021 Recycling rates have plateaued in England and Scotland for the fifth consecutive year according to a new interactive digital map of local authority recycling data.
Non-recyclable packaging costs councils £48m per year 29/03/2021 Packaging manufacturers are not doing enough to stop producing non-recyclable packaging or to contribute to the costs of disposal, council chiefs say.
The importance of sustainable waste management strategies for the UK's local authorities 26/03/2021 Peter Vernon sustainable waste management strategies in the context of wheelie-bin procurement and improved recycling rates.
Three Rivers tops recycling league 04/03/2021 Three Rivers DC in Hertfordshire has climbed to become the highest performing authority in England for household waste recycling, according to official government figures.
Councillors warn standardised collections will result in waste and recycling charges 09/02/2021 Residents may be forced to carry the cost of introducing standardised waste and recycling collections in England, a survey of local councillors has warned.
How schools can combat waste 22/12/2020 Michael Taylor, general manager at Skip Hire UK, looks at how schools can combat waste.
Survey shows public trusts councils more than Government on COVID 30/11/2020 The findings of a new opinion poll show the public trusts councils more than Government on the response to COVID, says APSE.
Household recycling 'soared' during pandemic 19/10/2020 Some councils saw household recycling soar by 100% during the COVID-19 pandemic, council leaders have revealed.
An alternative to deposit return schemes 02/06/2020 Deposit return schemes are not the answer to our plastic recycling challenges, argues Matthew Ball.
Most councils prepare to open household waste recycling centres 13/05/2020 Nearly all councils are planning on opening Household Waste Recycling Centres in the next two weeks, a survey has revealed.
Councils must continue recycling collections to avoid negative environmental impact 07/05/2020 Recycling collections must continue during lockdown or risk longer term damage to our environment says Tim Gent.
Fly-tipping soars by 300% since lockdown 01/05/2020 Fly-tipping in rural areas has increased by 300% since the lockdown, new analysis has discovered.
Councils prepare to reopen recycling sites 29/04/2020 Councils have been asked to make reopening household waste recycling sites a priority by the Government.
Wales to ban ‘hard to recycle’ plastics 18/03/2020 Plastic straws, cutlery and polystyrene food containers are just a few of the items set to be banned as the Welsh government cracks down on single-use plastics.
Council chiefs call on mattress companies to ‘recycle own products’ 02/03/2020 Local authority leaders are calling for mattress manufacturers to be forced to recycle their own products and offer take-back services to stop them being fly-tipped.
Eliminating consumer single use plastics in the workplace 26/02/2020 How CCS can help your organisation achieve environmental goals.
Scotland’s bottle deposit scheme should cover other materials, MSPs say 10/12/2019 Scotland’s bottle deposit scheme should include cartons and other plastics, a report has urged today.
Colourful bins have ‘significant impact’ on recycling 04/12/2019 A pilot scheme aimed at boosting recycling in Leeds city centre has seen 1.2 million coffee cups recycled in one year.
Welsh council tops Recycling Carbon Index 25/11/2019 Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has been named as the best recycler in the UK in terms of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it has saved.
Councils warn 'unclear' labelling is hindering recycling efforts 07/11/2019 Councils are calling for a series of new measures to help boost recycling rates.