Waste | LocalGov


Council clears tonnes of ‘nurdles’ after North Sea crash 02/04/2025 Teams from East Lindsey DC have cleaned up over 12 tonnes of plastic pellets from Lincolnshire’s beaches following a crash between two ships in the North Sea.
Bristol considers moving to four-weekly bin collections 28/01/2025 Bristol City Council could become the first local authority in England to collect non-recyclable household rubbish only once every four weeks.
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.
Cheshire East says it has ‘no choice’ but to reduce bin collections 28/11/2024 Cheshire East Council plans to move to three-weekly residual waste collections in a bid to cut costs by £1m, despite local opposition.
Council to install 120 solar-powered bins 18/11/2024 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is installing more than 120 new solar-powered litter bins to reduce litter and the borough’s carbon footprint.
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.
More than £2m needed to sort Welsh recycling scheme 30/09/2024 Senior Denbighshire CC members will be asked to plough more than £2m into a recycling scheme that has led to ‘unacceptable' numbers of missed collections.
Councils accused of being overzealous with ‘middle-class fly-tipping’ 23/09/2024 Councils have been accused of being overzealous when it comes to fining people who leave items outside their home for neighbours to collect for free.
Council seizes fly-tipping vans in new crackdown 19/09/2024 Two vehicles allegedly used to illegally dump waste have been seized by Bolton Council in the first week of its new waste crime strategy.
Council overruled as new incinerator gets go-ahead 18/09/2024 Dorset Council has accused the Government of ignoring residents’ views by approving a new waste incinerator on the Jurassic coastline.
New waste tax could cost councils billions 17/09/2024 A proposed tax on the carbon emitted from burning waste could cost councils billions over the next decade, according to new analysis.
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.
‘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.
Cheshire East sets out plan to tackle £100m deficit 16/08/2024 Plans to address a £100m budget gap over four years will be considered by Cheshire East councillors next week.
Ombudsman ‘astonished’ by failure to remove waste 08/08/2024 Kingston Council’s refusal to move a dumped mattress for four months has left the local government ombudsman ‘astonished’.
Council to consider paying £47m extra for waste service 08/07/2024 Somerset Council will consider paying an extra £47m over six years for waste services after its contractor disclosed it was making significant losses in the area.
Strikes halted as bullying row drags into ninth month 02/07/2024 Refuse collection workers in South Tyneside have called off the first of three weeks of industrial action due to start today.
Dumped waste forces nine-hour road closure 21/06/2024 A road was closed for nine hours after two tonnes of waste were illegally dumped in West Yorkshire yesterday.
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.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils consider legal advice over waste guidance 12/06/2024 Councils are considering seeking legal advice over statutory guidance that will tell local authorities to collect residual waste at least every two weeks, The MJ understands.
Somerset’s £24m-a-year waste contract at risk 13/05/2024 Somerset Council’s waste collection contract is at risk after Suez disclosed ‘significant losses’ and said it may have to end the deal early.
Herefordshire Council uses drone to investigate fly-tipping 17/04/2024 A drone is being used by Herefordshire Council to gather evidence of illegal waste disposal.
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.
Middlesbrough avoids ‘catastrophic’ s114 with approved budget 11/03/2024 Councillors in Middlesbrough have approved a budget with ‘savings and income generation plans’ worth £13.9m.
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.
Council chiefs welcome drop in fly-tipping incidents 17/01/2024 Local authorities in England dealt with 1.08 million fly-tipping incidents in 2022/23, a decrease of 1% on the previous year, according to the latest figures.
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.
Refuse workers strike over alleged 'bullying culture' 11/01/2024 Bins across South Tyneside could go uncollected for eight weeks as refuse workers strike over what has been called a ‘toxic bullying culture’.
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.
Agreement ends long-running bin strike 11/12/2023 An agreement between Warrington Borough Council and the trade union Unite has put an end to refuse workers’ strikes.
'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.
‘Toxic’ environment at council waste service 15/11/2023 A report describing a ‘toxic’ working environment at Brighton and Hove City Council’s waste service includes accounts of staff bringing weapons to the depot.
Fly-tipping enforcement up as incidents drop 24/10/2023 Councils carried out more enforcement action in response to illegal waste dumping last year as the number of reported incidents fell.
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.
Brighton’s waste service ‘mired in racism, sexism and homophobia’ 13/10/2023 A report has described a ‘toxic’ environment and ‘normalised’ bullying behaviour within Brighton and Hove City Council’s waste department following complaints by whistleblowers.
Coventry refuse workers to vote on industrial action 04/10/2023 The trade union Unite has notified Coventry City Council that it will ballot 55 refuse workers for strike action and action short of a strike.
Place directors under ‘immense pressure’ publish strategic objectives 03/10/2023 Place directors have called for action on planning, infrastructure and the environment, including a financial regime enabling councils to build more affordable and ‘climate-ready’ homes.
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.
Unite and council reach deal to end waste strike 27/09/2023 Waste service workers and street cleaners return to work today after negotiations between Tower Hamlets Council and the trade union Unite put an end to industrial action.
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.
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.
South Ayrshire increase recycling rates in parks 31/07/2023 South Ayrshire Council is collecting 36.8% more recyclable waste in residential parks since installing over 400 new recycling bins by Leafield Environmental.
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.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils in dark over new funding stream 18/04/2023 More financial uncertainty is being piled onto councils over the distribution of a fresh funding stream, The MJ has been told.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘It’s time for a new Audit Commission’ 12/04/2023 An ex-senior mandarin has today called for a new Audit Commission as The MJ reveals the draft metrics the Government is considering for its new watchdog.
Fly-tipping incidents skyrocket by a third 05/04/2023 The number of fly-tipping incidents has increased by a third since 2010, a new analysis by Labour has revealed.
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’.
Over £1.6m available to tackle chewing gum pollution 17/02/2023 Over £1.6m of funding is now available to help local authorities across the UK tackle chewing gum pollution.
‘Alarming’ figures reveal one third of fly-tipping in Glasgow 13/02/2023 Almost one third of recorded fly-tipping incidents in Scotland last year took place in Glasgow, a freedom of information request has revealed.
Charge manufacturers for fly-tipping clean up, council chiefs say 01/02/2023 Manufacturers should contribute to the cost of cleaning up fly-tipped rubbish to help tackle the health risk posed by the illegal practice, council chiefs say.
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.
Triple on-the-spot littering fines, think tank urges 23/01/2023 A think tank has called for a ‘revitalised’ litter strategy including tripling the level of fines and ranking councils on enforcement of anti-littering laws.
Giving good counsel to councils over waste crime 09/11/2022 Niall Burns explores radical measures to target the collusion and corruption driving a new illegal waste dumping pandemic.
Council chiefs call for tougher punishments for fly tippers 19/08/2022 Local authority leaders have called for the introduction of tougher sentences to help in the fight against fly tipping.
Council to use artificial salt marshes to clean waste water 24/06/2022 A new scheme in Leicestershire will see artificially created salt marshes being used to clean oils, diesel and chemicals in water collected from road gullies.
Council launches review into HMOs in Northampton 22/06/2022 West Northamptonshire Council yesterday launched a review into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Northampton after complaints by local campaigners.
Fresh strike warning for local government sector 13/06/2022 Unions have warned of more local government strikes.
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.
Government struggles to assess scale of waste crime 27/04/2022 Defra does not have the data it needs to assess scale of waste crime and the incentives for criminals to enter the waste market have increased, auditors say.
Plymouth council agrees pay uplift for HGV drivers 05/01/2022 The union Unite have welcomed a decision by Plymouth council to give HGV drivers a pay increase by regrading their jobs.
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.
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.
Waste crime could be costing the UK nearly a billion pounds a year 23/07/2021 Waste-related crime is costing the country an estimated £1bn a year, a new report has found.
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.
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.
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.
Environment Bill to give councils ‘clear framework’ to tackle pollution 30/01/2020 Local authorities will have a clear framework for tackling air pollution with the introduction of the Environment Bill, according to the Government.
Council chiefs call for more cash to fight fly-tipping 08/11/2019 Local authority leaders have urged the next Government to ensure that councils have the necessary funds to tackle fly-tipping.
Illegal tipping sites uncovered in 'sting' operation 29/05/2019 Dozens of illegal tipping sites have been discovered in a 'sting' operation by environment and customs officers.
Holyrood announces ambition to cut food waste by one third 25/04/2019 The Scottish government has unveiled plans to help reduce food waste by one third by 2025.
Council threatens fly-tippers with £50,000 fine 25/04/2019 Cheltenham residents have been warned that if they continue to dump their rubbish in the wrong place at the wrong time, they will face a £50,000 fine.
New £400 fly-tipping penalty comes into force 08/01/2019 The new financial penalties for fly-tipping, which could see fines of up to £400 being handed to offenders, are now in force.
Gove announces £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste 02/10/2018 The Government will set up a £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste, the environment secretary has announced.
North Londoners urged to ‘wise up to waste’ 01/08/2018 The 'Blue Planet' programme has had a massive effect on people's attitudes to plastic waste, new research has found.
Recycling rates could be boosted by fraud, says auditors 23/07/2018 The UK’s success at recycling may be being boosted by fraudulent exports of unrecyclable materials, auditors have claimed.