THE municipality plans to replace weekly garbage collections with weekly food waste collections and to collect “residual” garbage once a fortnight.
It would also collect glass and other recycling products in separate vehicles every two weeks and continue to provide fortnightly garden waste collections for a fee.
The proposal is Brighton and Hove City Council’s ‘preferred option’ among five change options that would allow Cityclean Council’s Waste and Recycling Department to deliver weekly food drives.
In areas with shared bins, the frequency of collections would remain the same, with containers of food waste added to the mix.
The proposed changes come as the government’s environmental bill is set to become law that requires all councils to implement a weekly food waste collection by 2023.
The House of Commons has passed the bill and it is currently under detailed consideration in the House of Lords.
A report to the advisers said: “Introducing food waste and reducing the frequency of residue collection, when undertaken together, can provide a balanced approach to bringing about change in performance and keeping costs down.”
But before any changes, the board plans to do a feasibility study, establish a business case and consult with residents, staff and unions.
The Brighton and Hove food drive plan is due for debate on Tuesday by the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee.
Another option would be to bring in weekly food drives and pick up the rest of the litter every week as well – but council bosses expect it to cost an additional £ 1million per year.
The council’s preferred option is expected to cost around £ 30,000 per year less than the current setup.
Either way, new garbage trucks would be needed – and earlier this year councilors approved a plan to spend an additional £ 1million per year to renew Cityclean’s fleet.
Plans could see the introduction of new garbage trucks
As a result, the budget has dropped from £ 1.5million per year to £ 2.5million as the council seeks alternatives to its current diesel-dominated fleet.
The council is also expected to spend money to provide every household with a food waste bin, although officials hope to recoup at least some of the costs from the government.
The report to the advisers said setting up weekly food drives could increase curbside recycling rates by up to 17%.
Last September, Cityclean analyzed curbside garbage pickups and found that 37% was food and drink – and more than half of that was packaged food.
The council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The meeting should be posted on the council’s website.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-17 07:55:13
