Waste management


New proposals to tackle waste crime 21/01/2022 New proposals to tackle fly-tipping and illegal waste exports have been unveiled by the Government today.
Regulator to progress Veolia and Suez investigation 22/12/2021 The competition regulator has announced that it will progress its investigation of the proposed merger between Veolia and Suez to the next stage.
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.
Coventry bin lorry drivers strike proposal ‘impractical’ 15/12/2021 Coventry City Council has rejected a union proposal that bin lorry drivers work for one hour and then go on strike for another hour.
Councils dealing with record amount of fly-tipping 09/12/2021 A charity has called for a review of the licensing scheme for waste carriers after new figures showed fly-tipping has reached an all-time high.
Veolia and Suez merger criticised by competition authority 08/12/2021 The merger of Veolia and Suez could lead to a loss of competition in the supply of several waste and water management services in the UK, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Coventry RCV drivers vote to strike 07/12/2021 Bin lorry drivers in Coventry have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay and Christmas working arrangements.
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.
HGV drivers threaten Christmas strikes 24/11/2021 Drivers of heavy goods vehicles who work for Coventry City Council’s waste services are threatening to go on strike over the Christmas period as part of a pay dispute.
Birmingham bins not returned due to 'council squabble' 11/11/2021 The ombudsman has blamed 'bickering' bin workers for residents having to return their own heavy communal bins to the right place in Birmingham.
Councils warn against 'unnecessary' free garden waste collections 25/10/2021 Councils have criticised government proposals for universal free garden waste collection, warning they are not the answer to reducing landfill.
Refuse workers strike against ‘ongoing attacks’ on pay and conditions 21/10/2021 Union members at Veolia Sheffield have voted to strike over pay and what they characterise as ‘ongoing attacks’ to their terms and conditions.
Brighton council and union reaches deal to end bin strike 19/10/2021 Brighton residents will soon once again see their streets cleared of bin bags as the council reaches a deal with striking refuse collection workers to resolve the ongoing industrial dispute.
Council chiefs warn driver shortages could hit gritting services 11/10/2021 Local authority leaders have warned that driver shortages could affect gritting services this winter.
New pay deal ends long-running bin strikes in South London 03/09/2021 Disruption to refuse services in the London Borough of Bexley has finally come to an end after a new pay deal was agreed.
IoT technology: Benefitting local authorities and councils 02/07/2021 Nick Sacke outlines some of the primary challenges being faced by local authorities and how technology can help.
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.
Litter overwhelming councils in tourist hotspots, warns union 15/06/2021 Councils are being overwhelmed by huge piles of litter at UK beauty spots, a trade union has warned today.
Waste collection plans to cost £680m a year, councils warn 11/06/2021 Government plans to standardise kerbside waste collections will cost £680m a year, district councils have warned today.
Bristol City Council apologises for ‘distress’ caused by mishandling of complaints 26/05/2021 Bristol City Council has apologised after being criticised for failing to provide evidence it had completed Ombudsman recommendations in two separate complaints.
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.
How local councils can help stop unnecessary plastic ending up in landfill 28/04/2021 Paul Empson outlines three simple ways councils can help raise awareness of the impact plastic food delivery trays have on the environment.
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.
Waste services experience continued ‘disruption’ due to COVID-19 10/03/2021 Local authority waste services across the country are continuing to feel the impacts of COVID-19, a new survey has revealed.
Councils dealing with one million fly-tipping incidents a year 25/02/2021 Councils dealt with nearly one million incidents of fly-tipping in 2019/20 at a cost of £50m, the latest figures have shown.
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.
Developing a best value biowaste strategy 02/02/2021 With all English local authorities to be required to collect food waste by 2023, Ben Brown explains how they can implement the best value biowaste solution.
Copeland residents asked to consider new radioactive waste facility 05/11/2020 A Working Group has been formed to start local engagement on whether Copeland could be a suitable location for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for higher activity radioactive waste.
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.
Councils warn about rise in PPE litter 28/09/2020 Nearly half of district councils have warned the littering of face masks and plastic gloves is becoming a growing problem in their area.
Waste incinerators more likely to be built in deprived areas, research uncovers 03/08/2020 Waste incinerators are three times more likely to be built in poorer areas than in the UK’s richest areas, an investigation has revealed.
North East councils team up for £2.1bn energy and waste project 24/07/2020 Seven councils across the North East have joined forces on a £2.1bn energy and waste project.
Waste collections ‘return to normal’ 15/07/2020 The majority of local authorities are now reporting that they have returned to normal operations of residual waste collections despite the continuing impact of Covid-19.
County set to approve £102m waste contract 29/06/2020 Norfolk County Council is set to approve a new six-year waste management deal with Veolia, worth £102m.
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.
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.
Refuse workers in Wirral walk out over coronavirus fears 08/04/2020 Refuse collectors in Wirral have refused to work after claiming Biffa Waste Services failed to introduce strict social distancing measures.
Councils told to prioritise black bag rubbish collections 08/04/2020 Councils have been advised to prioritise black bag waste collections over recycling during the coronavirus crisis.
Most councils still providing normal waste collections, survey reveals 06/04/2020 The majority of councils have been able to provide a normal waste and recycling collection service, a new survey has revealed.
Councils warn of ‘wave of waste’ 02/04/2020 There will be a spike in household rubbish due to the coronavirus lockdown, district councils have warned today.
Councils urged to provide data on waste services during Covid-19 01/04/2020 Local authorities have been urged to provide regular information on the impact Covid-19 is having on waste services.
Council reviews bin collections after disabled man ‘blocked’ in house 20/03/2020 Trafford Council has agreed to review the way it monitors missed bin collections after the Ombudsman upheld half a dozen complaints.
Waste operators call for ‘performance penalty’ relief to keep services running 20/03/2020 Waste operators have asked to be excused from performance penalties from the councils they have contracts with as part of the effort to keep services running during the pandemic.
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.
Call for ‘urgent action’ to stop people sleeping in bins 24/02/2020 Waste companies have called for a collaborative approach to stopping homeless people from sleeping in bins as new figures reveal a 15% increase in the practice over the last half decade.
Birmingham City Council considers ‘overhaul’ of rubbish collection service 04/02/2020 Birmingham residents could see their bins collected every two to three weeks as part of a package of measures designed to overhaul the city’s waste management service.
Help end ‘scandalous’ dumping of child car seats, LGA tells manufacturers 03/02/2020 Local authority leaders have called on manufacturers to take back child car seats once they have reached the end of their life to prevent them being sent to landfill.
Scottish councils sign £700m contract to ‘transform waste’ 16/01/2020 Five Scottish councils have signed a contract that will see up to 190,000 tonnes of black bag waste diverted from landfill and converted to low carbon energy.
District councils warn of ‘fly-tipping farm-aggedon' 13/01/2020 Councils have warned that fly-tippers are increasingly targeting rural areas after new figures show a surge in incidents where rubbish is being dumped on farm land.
‘Toughen up’ fly-tipping sentences, council chiefs say 06/01/2020 Local authority leaders have called for tougher sentences for fly-tippers as the latest figures reveal that offences have increased by 50% in six years
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.
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.
Welsh council trials microchipping bins to encourage recycling 24/10/2019 A Welsh county council is trialling the use of microchipping as part of an effort to encourage recycling as it moves to a four weekly collection.
Recycling and refuse top public’s spending priority list 17/10/2019 Councils should spend more money on rubbish collection and recycling, according to the results of a new poll.
Biffa fined for £350,000 over contaminated China shipment 30/09/2019 Waste management firm Biffa has been fined £350,000 for trying to send contaminated household waste to China.
Waste strategy places 'needless burden' on councils, MPs warn 05/09/2019 The waste strategy proposed by the Government has come under fire from MPs amid concerns about the burden it could impose upon local authorities.
Council to pilot electric bin lorries powered by waste 04/09/2019 Electric bin lorries that are powered by the waste they have collected will be trialled by Sheffield City Council.
Plans outlined for UK’s first plastic free homes 14/08/2019 A housing association has pledged to build 12 new homes that are virtually free of plastic.
Councils need ‘greater flexibility’ to develop waste strategies, MPs say 17/07/2019 Local authorities must be given the freedom to develop recycling strategies tailored to the needs of their communities, MPs have said.
Combined authority signs £1bn waste contracts 03/06/2019 The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has signed new operating contracts with SUEZ for the management of the city’s waste and resources.
Over half of councils ‘experiencing issues’ with plastic markets 21/05/2019 More than 50% of councils have reported that they were ‘experiencing issues’ with plastic markets, new research has revealed.
Councils call for tougher punishments for fly-tippers 13/05/2019 People convicted of fly-tipping should be handed tougher sentences councils have argued, after figures show no-one has been given the maximum punishment allowed since new guidelines in 2014.
Everything local government needs to know about coffee cup recycling 09/05/2019 With applications for The Cup Fund, the UK’s largest grant for projects that boost UK paper cup recycling, closing soon, Phil Wild shares what he thinks everyone should know.
Birmingham council apologises to union over waste dispute comments 30/04/2019 Birmingham City Council has apologised to Unite the Union over comments made during the recent protracted dispute with refuse collectors.
Birmingham council and union ‘welcome’ end to refuse dispute 18/03/2019 Refuse collectors who took part in strikes in Birmingham are to be given £3,500 each in a settlement which both sides say has ended the long-running dispute.
Birmingham refuse strike called off 04/03/2019 Unions called off a planned strike by refuse collectors in Birmingham today after the city council lost a bid to have the action declared illegal.
Scotland’s landfill ban will be £100m tax gift to England, waste experts say 27/02/2019 Waste management experts have ‘expressed deep concern’ that Scotland is not prepared for a landfill ban which will lead to higher haulage costs for councils.
Council chiefs insist waste reforms must be ‘fully funded’ 18/02/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed plans to ‘overhaul’ the waste system, but cautioned Whitehall that any reforms need to be fully funded.
Birmingham's winter of discontent 15/02/2019 With a series of one-day strikes to go ahead in Birmingham, Mark Whitehead explores what led to this long-running dispute over waste collection.
Whitehall must fund separate food waste collections, experts say 14/02/2019 Extra Government funding must be provided to speed up separate collections of food waste, the industry body has demanded.
Hundreds of Birmingham refuse workers to strike ‘weekly’ 05/02/2019 Over 300 refuse workers have announced they will begin two days of strike action a week in an escalation of the ongoing industrial dispute with the council.
Birmingham City Council renews controversial waste disposal contract 17/01/2019 Birmingham City Council has approved a controversial waste disposal contract with Veolia, describing it as the ‘best option available’.
Recycling services receive a £1bn boost 18/12/2018 Council chiefs have welcomed the Government’s new waste strategy, which aims to encourage businesses and manufacturers to use easily recyclable packaging.
Council chief says on YouTube: 'I'm sorry about bin chaos' 28/11/2018 A council leader has gone online to apologise to residents over chaos caused by a reorganisation of bin collections.
Council abandons controversial plan to drop kerbside plastic collection 28/11/2018 Swindon has abandoned controversial proposals to withdraw the kerbside collection of plastics and says it will carry out further ‘research’ into the issue.
Contractor fined £1m after complaints of ‘dirty streets’ 01/11/2018 Trafford council has fined a bins contractor £1m after residents raised concerns about dirty streets and overflowing bins.
Councils affected by China's waste ban 22/10/2018 A fifth of councils have been directly affected by China’s ban on imported waste over the past year, according to a new survey.
Neighbourhood services a 'serious concern', report warns 12/10/2018 A new report has highlighted 'serious concerns' over the future quality of neighbourhood services and adult social care unless councils receive adequate funding in the next spending review.
Welsh waste disposal scheme ‘well-managed’, auditor says 11/10/2018 A scheme launched by the Welsh government to help councils set up contracts to dispose of waste has been well-managed, according to an official report.
Welsh council moves to monthly refuse collection service 25/09/2018 Welsh council has announced it will only collect refuse destined for landfill or incineration once a month in an effort to save money and encourage recycling.
Charity calls for end of UK’s ‘barmy’ recycling system 25/09/2018 Every household in the country should be able to recycle the same items under a new national system, according to calls from Keep Britain Tidy.
Market ‘best placed’ to deliver value for money for waste collection 12/09/2018 Local authorities should use competition to drive value for money for waste collections, representatives from the resource and waste management industry say.
Council to trial free skip service to stop fly-tipping 03/09/2018 Walsall council is considering trialling a ‘free skip service’ for the deposit of household bulky items.
Northamptonshire CC plan to save £70m ‘very tall order’ 10/08/2018 Northamptonshire CC may face serious hurdles making savings by renegotiating contracts with third-party suppliers, public sector procurement expert warns.
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.
Birmingham councillor calls for action on dumped fridges 19/07/2018 A Birmingham councillor has called on the Government to do more to tackle the issue of dumped fridges.
Council use of incinerators ‘doubles’ since 2010 16/07/2018 The amount of waste managed by local authorities and sent to incinerators has doubled in less than a decade, a new report reveals.
Resourceful partners 10/07/2018 This summer, with the support of three councils, the HERU (Home Energy Resources Unit) will be going out for field trials. Ruth Corrall and Vic Allison looks at the HERU and what the councils hope to achieve with their involvement.
Councils making £74m a year from garden waste charges 25/06/2018 More than half of UK councils have introduced charges for garden waste collection totalling almost £74m a year, according to new research.
Councils must change collection services to meet EU recycling target 25/05/2018 Most councils will be able to meet the EU's recycling target at no extra cost, according to waste management experts.
Councils need a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping, union says 20/04/2018 Local authorities must adopt ‘zero tolerance’ policy on fly-tipping, union says as new study reveals nearly £60m was spent in England clearing up in one year.
Some councils 'hiding' cost of waste collection on their websites 20/03/2018 Although three-quarters of councils now charge for garden waste collections, less than half of council websites provide a good or very good service for this task, a new survey has revealed.
Seven council staff arrested in fraud probe 16/02/2018 Seven members of staff at Cardiff Council have been arrested on suspicion of fraud, the council has confirmed.
Delivering clean streets with technology 31/01/2018 Mark Jenkins explains how the social value of the bin has considerably increased and the way in which it interacts with the public has irrevocably changed.
Council to introduce four-weekly bin collection 24/01/2018 Conwy Council is phasing in four-weekly black bin collections following a successful trial which saved the equivalent of 87 double decker buses from landfill.
Refuse vehicles could be powered by household waste 22/01/2018 A city council is planning on running its refuse collection vehicles on electricity generated by the city’s household waste.

Risky business: Look local to learn lessons from the COVID-19 crisis

Duncan Shaw calls for a more effective ‘whole of society’ approach to managing and assessing risk.

There's a whiff of purpose once more on devolution

Devolution should rock the status quo and create a new culture of governance which pushes everyone who currently holds decision-making power out of their comfort zones, says deputy chief executive of New Local Jessica Studdert.

Most Popular News

Minister ‘minded’ to intervene at Sandwell Council

Oxfordshire councils look to scrap partnership

New proposals to tackle waste crime

Five companies fined £33m over prepaid cards cartel

Free voter cards to be issued by councils under new bill

Products

NEW PRODUCTS: New and improved Toro mower for greater productivity

CASE STUDIES: Norwich City Council Awarded for Innovative Approach to Tackling Rising Debt Concerns

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Tempest Resourcing Wins Place on Local Government Resourcing Partnership Framework

Senior Practitioner – Family Assessment Centre

£43,860 – £48,819 per annum

This post is part of a specialist team working as part of the internal resource for... Haringey, London (Greater)

Recuriter: Haringey London Borough Council

Leader's Office Manager

£40869 - £43860 per annum + n/a

Help us make Royal Greenwich a place where everyone can succeed and prosper. This interesting and unique job carries responsibility for managing the o England, London, Woolwich

Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Social Worker – Family Assessment Centre

£33,418 – £44,860 per annum

This post is part of a specialist team working as part of the internal resource for the conducting of... Haringey, London (Greater)

Recuriter: Haringey London Borough Council

Service Development Manager – Waste

£39,880 to £43,857

As our Service Development Manager your core focus is to drive service improvement by seeking out opportunities for the County Council in... North Yorkshire

Recuriter: North Yorkshire County Council

Children's Services – Advanced Practitioner (Team Based)

£45,594

We are looking for reflective, dedicated social workers Lambeth, London (Greater)

Recuriter: Lambeth Council

Public Property

This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.

The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.