Major revamp of county waste and recycling services set to be launched

It will include regular food waste collections for the first time, an increase in the number of items which are recycled in kerbside bins, a renewed commitment to tackle fly-tipping and a reduction in the amount of rubbish sent to county landfill sites slashed to less than five per cent by 2025.

A public consultation into the Leicestershire Resources and Waste Strategy 2022-2050 evoked widespread support among the 5,000 people who responded.

The blueprint has been put together by the Leicestershire Waste Partnership, which is made up of the county council, Melton Borough Council and the six other district councils in Leicestershire.

Each authority needs to approve the plan – Melton Council’s cabinet is discussing it on Wednesday – before it can be adopted.

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and the green agenda at County Hall, said: “We’re making good progress so far as more than 40 per cent of all household waste is currently recycled, but it will take a team effort to reduce even more waste over the coming years.

“We all have a part to play to ensure Leicestershire is a cleaner, greener and healthier place to live and work.”

More than 80 percent of respondents were supportive of the partnership’s vision, which is to work towards a circular economy – keeping products in use for longer and preventing waste - and contribute to achieving net zero carbon by 2050 in Leicestershire.

The 12 pledges made in the strategy include a commitment to deliver reuse services and encourage residents to prevent unnecessary waste in a bid to improve recycling rates, increase reuse, save raw materials and reduce carbon emissions.

An additional pledge has been added to reduce fly-tipping and litter across Leicestershire and educate residents, businesses, or anyone disposing of rubbish, about their legal duty of care to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

Respondents in the consultation were generally positive on the introduction of food waste collections but there were concerns raised on how it would work

in practice, with regard to smells and hygiene.

With less household waste to be collected in future, the survey also revealed more residents would prefer fortnightly collections with a smaller bin size than a three-weekly collection with a current size bin.

Councillor Joe Orson, leader of Melton Council and spokesperson for the Leicestershire Waste Partnership, said: “I’m pleased so many residents had their say on what happens to their future recycling and waste services.

“This revised strategy will help inform how Leicestershire will use its resources more efficiently and become a net zero carbon county.”

The responses highlighted several themes including encouraging and educating residents about the relationship between waste and climate change, putting pressure on packaging producers and there was support for a variety of materials collected at the kerbside.

An action plan and timeline has now been developed to track progress until 2050. Actions will be subject to funding and changes to Government policy, legislation and regulations, or other changes in circumstances.

A final decision on the strategy is expected next month.