Residents in a Nottinghamshire borough are becoming ‘frustrated’ at being unable to recycle glass or food waste kerbside.
Rushcliffe Borough Council residents are “encouraged” to instead recycle bottles and jars at a local recycling centres and food waste can be composted privately or put in the grey bin.
The Government’s Environment Bill – which aims to improve air and water quality, protect wildlife, increase recycling and reduce plastic waste – was passed into law in November.
But Councillor Jen Walker (Lab) said local government are still waiting for more clarity on its “recycling expectations, funding, timescales and costs”.
At the Rushcliffe Borough Council Cabinet meeting on December 15, Cllr Walker said there was “growing frustration” amongst residents on the issue.
Councillor Rob Inglis, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety, (Con) said the authority continues to liaise with the Government and County Council on the issue.
Cllr Walker said: “Rushcliffe is really good for recycling and that is despite us not being able to recycle glass or food waste kerbside.
“When we go knocking on doors this is one of the biggest issues.
“I think if we were recycling food waste and glass we could bump up our rates significantly.
“There are other councils who can do it but there is a disconnect between what each borough can do.
“The problem is the delay to the Environment Bill and we still don’t have any clarity on the matter, it is crazy.
“The hope is they will put in measures and fund the new measures – if we start collecting glass and food waste we will need vehicles for those.
“It is significant because we are on the cusp of building an incinerator in our borough and we are talking about burning our waste when recycling is not up to scratch.”
Cllr Inglis said during the meeting: “The council continues to liaise with Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) the County Council and other district collection authorities.
“It is hoped that national clarity will be provided by the Government early in the new year so the council can work with key partners such as the county council.
“Any national imposed change must be implemented at a waste system level and not unilaterally. The council cannot act as the disposal authority and it must act in the best interests of the council tax payer.
“I would like to clarify that Rushcliffe Borough Council is the highest recycling authority in the county and the glass sites across the borough recycles more glass each year compared with kerb side schemes of other boroughs in the county.
“Because the bottles are sorted at source, they are made into new bottles rather than being made into road material.”
Rushcliffe has an extensive network of local bring sites and other recycling points where amongst other material residents can now also recycle Pringles tubes, coffee and hot chocolate tubs with metal ends at Tetra Pak recycling facilities.
Croissant dough cans can now be recycled in the dedicated bring banks in addition to orange juice, chopped tomato and milk cartons and soya milk and custard Tetra Pak items.
Local residents can now recycle these containers at locations across the Borough, which can be found at: www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling
For more information on recycling in Rushcliffe this Christmas and changes to bin collections, visit www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/christmas
