Councils invited to sign up to recycling collection guidelines

The government-backed Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Local Government Association (LGA) have today teamed up to launch a new initiative designed to boost recycling rates and increase public confidence in council recycling services.

The two bodies are inviting councils to sign up to a ten-point Waste Collection Commitment, which has been developed to maximise public satisfaction with recycling and waste collection services and, as a result, bolster recycling rates.

The voluntary guidelines would commit councils to providing regular and reliable recycling and waste collections, clearly explaining the rules governing recycling and the reason for them, and making clear what happens to recyclable materials.

The new initiative has been launched on the back of a survey of over 2,000 householders, which found that while more than 80 per cent of respondents are happy with their council's recycling and waste services, far fewer were satisfied with the communication that supports recycling services. For example, only 54 per cent said they were happy with the explanations for recycling " rules" that are meant to outline which materials can be recycled and why.

The survey also found that households wanted to see reliable collections that did not result in litter being left on streets and allowed a wide range of different materials to be recycled.

Gary Porter, chairman of the LGA's Environment Board, urged councils to sign up to the commitment, arguing that many would already be in line with the guidelines.

The move is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to boost the UK's recycling rates as the government seeks to head off the risk of EU fines if it fails to meet a target to halve the amount of biodegradable municipal waste being sent to landfill by 2013.

A report earlier this year from the LGA calculated that the average UK household was already paying £30 in landfill tax and warned that this figure was likely to cover the cost of an EU fines rise if efforts to boost recycling rates are not increased.