Published: Monday, 4th November 2024
Sevenoaks District Council has published a draft ‘Domestic Waste & Recycling Strategy’ that sets out a broad vision to improve the carbon and cost efficiency of its waste collection services.
The new vision is being discussed by District Councillors during November 2024. If approved, it could lead to a wider range of materials, including glass and food waste collections along with other improvements in future years. But before any decisions are made, residents will have an opportunity to have their say on the collection service in early 2025.
A number of factors are driving the changes to the collection services.
Sevenoaks District Council is committed to tackling climate change and, as part of its new Climate Change Strategy, has promised to reduce general waste and increase recycling. This is because recycling helps to prevent climate change by saving energy and helping to transform items that have been used into something new.
But right now, recycling rates in the Sevenoaks District are around 38%. Government has set a new national recycling target of 65% by 2035. Under the current collection arrangements, this target is unlikely to be met unless the Council makes significant changes to its waste collection service.
Since the pandemic, the amount of waste collected by the Council has increased by about a third as more people are working from home. There has also been significant growth of parcel delivery services from online retailers, which generates extra packaging and waste.
The recycling and waste vision proposes the introduction of dedicated weekly food waste collections, and a new glass collection service every other week, by 31 March 2026 along with a comprehensive review of the collection service.
In time, the Council would look to further expand its collections by adding new items, such as small household electrical goods and textiles.
The Council will also review the collection containers provided to residents, including the option to introduce wheelie bins for general waste and vehicles capable of lifting them.
Cllr Irene Roy, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, says: “Our commitment to tackle climate change means we need to change and improve our waste collection services. We want to give our communities more options to recycle as much as possible, helping to reduce their general waste to an absolute minimum.
“We are considering the introduction of glass and dedicated food waste collections in the near future plus other improvements in later years. But before we introduce any changes, we want to hear the views of our residents. We are proposing to run a resident survey in the coming months. The results will feed into our comprehensive review of the service in the new year.
“At this time, my fellow Councillors need to consider the new vision for our waste and recycling collection service and, if they give their approval, and once we have sought residents’ views, we will work on the details and a timetable for implementation.”
Further information is available at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/wastestrategy.
The draft ‘Domestic waste & recycling strategy’ will be considered by the Council’s Cleaner & Greener Advisory Committee on 11 November, Cabinet on 14 November 2024 and Council on 19 November 2024.
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