MoreThanWaste.com - Scottish report provides backing to alternate weekly collections (10/04/2007)

A report on Scottish kerbside recycling has demonstrated that alternate weekly collections have a great benefit on the quantities of materials recycled by householders.

The report by Remade Scotland shows that kerbside schemes alternating with fortnightly residual collections recover 65% more recyclate than schemes linked to weekly residual collections.

Coupled with the recent favourable Enviros report on the health effects of alternate weekly collections, the Remade report provides further backing for local authorities to adopt this approach to maximize their recycling and composting percentages and divert more materials away from landfill.

However information in the report findings suggest that the best combination from a quantitative viewpoint, may be alternate weekly collections of residual wastes coupled with weekly kerbside collections of compost and recyclate.

The Scottish Remade report was attempting to identify issues that might help Scottish local authorities to progress to 40% recycling and beyond through improving the recovery rates from kerbside collections.

The report says that Scottish authorities have made “significant progress in increasing recycling rates, and achieving the 25% by 2006 target”. However figures produced reveal that households north of the border are recycling only around two-thirds of the recovery rate in England and Wales.

Key factors were found that had important influences on kerbside recycling including:

collection frequency,
collection capacity,
number of materials collected, and
collection frequency of residual waste.

Higher collection frequencies, higher capacity of containers and mixed collections of 4 or more materials were all found to have significant beneficial effects on the amounts of recyclate collected.

Weekly collections of recyclables showed significant improvements on fortnightly collections, though here of course there is a cost – benefit balance to be struck.

In excess of 330,000 tonnes of recyclate and compostable materials was collected from the kerbside in 2005-06 for Scotland, according to the report.

Further information

For further information and to view a copy of the report, visit the Remade Scotland website.


	Scottish report provides backing to alternate weekly collections (10/04/2007) A report on Scottish kerbside recycling has demonstrated that alternate weekly collections have a great benefit on the quantities of materials recycled by householders. The report by Remade Scotland shows that kerbside schemes alternating with fortnightly residual collections recover 65% more recyclate than schemes linked to weekly residual collections. Coupled with the recent favourable Enviros report on the health effects of alternate weekly collections, the Remade report provides further backing for local authorities to adopt this approach to maximize their recycling and composting percentages and divert more materials away from landfill. However information in the report findings suggest that the best combination from a quantitative viewpoint, may be alternate weekly collections of residual wastes coupled with weekly kerbside collections of compost and recyclate. The Scottish Remade report was attempting to identify issues that might help Scottish local authorities to progress to 40% recycling and beyond through improving the recovery rates from kerbside collections. The report says that Scottish authorities have made “significant progress in increasing recycling rates, and achieving the 25% by 2006 target”. However figures produced reveal that households north of the border are recycling only around two-thirds of the recovery rate in England and Wales. Key factors were found that had important influences on kerbside recycling including: collection frequency, collection capacity, number of materials collected, and collection frequency of residual waste. Higher collection frequencies, higher capacity of containers and mixed collections of 4 or more materials were all found to have significant beneficial effects on the amounts of recyclate collected. Weekly collections of recyclables showed significant improvements on fortnightly collections, though here of course there is a cost – benefit balance to be struck. In excess of 330,000 tonnes of recyclate and compostable materials was collected from the kerbside in 2005-06 for Scotland, according to the report. Further information For further information and to view a copy of the report, visit the Remade Scotland website.