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Suffolk County Council is preparing for a major transformation of recycling and waste services, with £5.2m allocated to meet new statutory requirements by March 2026.
The big picture: The "Simpler Recycling" scheme aims to standardise recycling collections across England and introduce separate food waste collection. This represents a significant change in how the county will manage its waste.
Key points:
No additional funding is being sought – £4.5m from council reserves will fund infrastructure changes, including adaptations to waste transfer stations.
An additional £700,000 has been secured by East Suffolk Council for improvements to the Lowestoft recycling centre.
The changes are expected to increase recycling rates, reduce carbon emissions, and lower waste disposal costs.
By the numbers:
58% of current general waste could be diverted to recycling or organic waste collections.
35% of Suffolk's non-recyclable waste is currently food waste.
What they're saying: Councillor Chris Chambers, Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste, called it a "once in a generation opportunity to change our culture and increase how much we recycle."
“We have a good working relationship across all councils to manage the whole recycling and waste journey in the county.
“It will also save money for Suffolk taxpayers, as the new system will make recycling easier. We estimate that 58% of current general waste could be diverted to other recycling and organic waste collections in future, reducing costs.”
Between the lines: While district and borough councils handle curbside collections, the county council is responsible for waste management once it reaches transfer stations.
What's next: The Cabinet will vote on allocating the resources at its meeting on 10 September 2024.
Ipswich Borough Council will decide if and how to implement changes to bin collections in Ipswich. However, East Suffolk Council is set to adopt a new twin-stream recycling collection service with three weekly refuse collections and weekly food waste collections.
The bottom line: Whatever decision Ipswich Borough Council makes, the new system's success will ultimately depend on residents and businesses adopting proper recycling habits.
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