Teignbridge considers waste changes

Residents could benefit from weekly food waste and recycling collection services under plans being considered by Teignbridge Council.

Teignbridge’s Executive is looking at proposals to change its current service, replacing it with easier, more frequent food waste and recycling collections.

This proposed ‘best affordable’ scheme has been designed to keep Teignbridge at the forefront of recycling in Devon while ensuring residents have a fair, simple system that encourages them to reduce, reuse and recycle.

It includes introducing weekly food waste and weekly recycling collections including cardboard and mixed plastics alongside items currently collected.

An ‘opt in’ annual subscription for collecting green waste is also proposed. Black bin waste would remain fortnightly.

Teignbridge empties 3million bins a year and needs to change the way the service operates to help keep long-term costs low, improve the recycling service, upgrade the bin lorry fleet and ensure the high-performing service remains robust for the future.

The option was considered the best out of a list that was put together from external expertise and outline business and performance cases. The Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the options at its meeting on 10 March and recommended the ‘best affordable’ as its preference.

The Executive will meet to consider the proposals on Tuesday April 15 at 10am in Forde House, Newton Abbot.

At the O&S meeting Rushcliffe Borough Council, Nottingham, gave a presentation about how it changed its waste service and answered questions from councillors.

Cllr Mike Haines, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Independent Group Leader, said: “The Committee was grateful for the input from Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Leader Cllr Neil Clarke and Darryl Burch, their Waste Services Manager, who were able to share their recent experience in changes to garden waste collections.”

Cllr Kevin Lake, Teignbridge District Council’s Executive Spokesman for Environmental Services, said: “Our recycling service provides great value for money and remains one of the best performing in Devon. This is a real achievement and is something we are proud of.

“Lots of differing factors mean we need to change how we operate the service. We see this as an opportunity to develop what we’ve got and collect more, not less.

“With the best affordable option, we can provide weekly food waste and recycling collections, improve our recycling performance and ensure residents get the best deal.

“At the same time we need to ensure it remains cost effective and this is why an optional charge for garden waste collections is being considered.

“We are grateful to Overview and Scrutiny for their comments and we will look carefully at the option and what it means to our residents before making a decision.”

Teignbridge’s waste collection service has consistently proved to be one of the best performing waste service in Devon. In 2012/13 waste and cleansing service in Teignbridge cost £42.72/ household/year - one of the cheapest in Devon.