[dropcap type=”circle”]W[/dropcap]irral residents now have less than a month to express their opinions of proposals to change how domestic waste is collected. Changes are being made in order to accommodate a new food recycling service.
Details of the proposals – and a short questionnaire for residents to complete – are now online at the Council website. The consultation ends on September 9.
Residents are being asked to comment on two options – either to keep the existing 240 litre green bin, but have this collected every three weeks, OR replace the existing bin with a new 140 litre, smaller green bin that is collected on the current two week schedule.
The new food recycling service will mean all food waste from Wirral households is collected every week.
Cllr Bernie Mooney, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “We are asking residents to make a straight choice on a change to how we collect residual waste – that’s the stuff we send to landfill. However, there is also an opportunity with this consultation for people to give us feedback on the decision to introduce a food recycling service. What we have to make clear, though, is that there is no ‘do nothing’ option.”
By 2020 Wirral needs to be recycling 50% of all household waste, which requires a 16,000 ton reduction of residual waste. If the target is not met government has the power to impose fines and the levy the council pays for waste disposal and treatment could rise significantly from the current £15.4 million each year.
“Our current recycling rate stands at 36%,” added Cllr Mooney, “so it is easy to see why we need to significantly change how we currently do things – and quickly – to get us to 50%. The evidence we’ve seen in Wirral is that 40% of the rubbish that goes into the residual waste bin is food, so investing in a food recycling collection service is a logical step. The food that will be collected will be taken to a special processing plant in Widnes, which will result in it generating renewable energy and a nutrient-rich fertiliser that can be used to grow more food.”
The food recycling service will see residents given a small caddy to keep in their kitchen to collect food along with a supply of liner bags. They will also get a small container to place the bagged food waste in throughout the week and this container can then be left out for collection every week alongside whatever other bin is due for collection that day.
If you want to have your say please visit the Wirral Council website be clicking or tapping here.
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