Proposed new ways of carrying out bin collections in Nottingham are supported by three-quarters of respondents to a recent City Council survey.
More than 3,600 responses were received as part of the consultation on a draft Municipal Resources and Waste Strategy between October and December 2022 – one of the City Council’s top consultation response rates. 76% said they are supportive of the proposals in the strategy.
Developed alongside specialist partners, Frith Resource Management, the draft strategy outlined how waste and recycling could be collected differently from homes and businesses in the city. The possible changes are intended to improve recycling rates, save resources and reduce carbon emissions.
The draft strategy covered 17 ambitions for how waste can be managed well in Nottingham. When asked which of the ambitions they thought were most important, respondents identified the following as their priorities:
- Preventing recyclable material from going into general waste collection – 15%
- Starting a separate food waste collection – 14%
- More education in schools on good waste management – 10%.
Respondents were also in favour of the introduction of a weekly food waste collection, with 72% believing there were no barriers to them participating. The City Council is due to begin a food waste trial in some parts of the city in Spring 2023 which will provide valuable feedback on how best to roll this out across Nottingham.
Through the consultation exercise, the City Council looked to establish a preference for two recycling containers (one for paper / card and another for all remaining recyclables) or multiple recycling containers for each recyclable material. The responses were evenly split, with 38% preferring two containers while 37% preferred multiple containers. Further research and consultation will be carried out to find a solution that works well for residents.
Nottingham’s refreshed strategy for managing waste comes as the UK Government sets out new targets to increase recycling rates across the country to 65% by 2035, while keeping landfill rates below 10%. Initiatives such as food waste collections will also become mandatory under the new regulations. The council only sends around eight per cent of its collected waste to landfill, but its recycling rates need to be improved.
Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste, said: “The recent consultation on our draft waste strategy was a brilliant opportunity for us to gain an understanding of what our residents want to happen with their rubbish and recycling. The number of responses shows that people feel strongly about the issue of waste and recycling in Nottingham, and I’d like to thank everyone who shared their views.
“I’m pleased that the responses to the consultation survey were largely supportive for the changes we’re proposing. This gives us a great starting point for creating a new plan for managing waste that works well for everyone in the city.
“Introducing changes will be a gradual process, but I look forward to seeing our recycling rates improve and our carbon emissions reduce as a result. We will be taking the concerns that were raised through the consultation on board and ensuring that everyone is well-informed on the changes as we make them.”
The consultation responses are being analysed in full and a final draft strategy will go forward to the City Council’s Executive Board for adoption in March. The initial findings from the consultation can be found here.