MULTI-STREAM OR SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING.

IS THERE A BETTER WAY?

The Council has adopted the single-stream system but I argue in favour of the multi-stream system in my book and here too. 

This morning I was reminded that some time ago my local Authority supplied every home with bags and boxes in a Council multi-streaming recycling project. Like most Council’s it eventually decided householders could not separate their waste. It decided to change to a single-stream system. It replaced the bag and box with a big blue recycling bin and told customers to put all recycling in it. Helpfully, a list of materials that can be put in recycling was provided. Mine is still inside my bin. It is stuck to the lid.

Putting recycling into one receptacle is easier for customers and emptying one is easier for Council loaders and drivers. In many ways the single-stream system is ideal, but the recycling rates are not good!

In 2019, the year I became a member of Guisborough Town Council, RECOUP produced a survey showing challenges Councils find associated with household recycling. The biggest single challenge given was contamination. Other challenges included collection logistics and reduced collection frequency.

MY PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS:

Contamination is often caused by over zealous, ‘wish recycling’ customers. When they are not sure which bin to use they sometimes get it wrong. There is nothing to guide a correct decision. 

I have trialled collecting recycling in a draw cabinet. It is easy to see which draw an item should go in. If the material does not go in a draw it goes in the general waste bin.  

Other problems, such as logistics and collection frequency need to be defined and resolved by the Council.

ARE CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN RECYCLING?

I advertised Global Recycling Day on social media for a month and got not responses at all. My conclusion is that those customers who use social media were not interested in recycling. Social media is not a good platform for advertising recycling. Councils who rely on that media probably get as much response as me. I know people who observe the labels on packaging, clean it, put it in the recycling bin and forget about it. To them it has no value. I suggest future advertising should be through other media. To be successful it must be given value. Let customers know that money raised through sales of recycling goes into that or other services and helps to reduce council tax.

IS RECYCLING FINANCIALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY VIABLE?

I suggest advertising should aim to assure customers that recycling is beneficial. It is good for the environment, helps reduce climate change and the council tax. Money from recycling goes into services.

HOW MUCH PLASTIC RECYCLING ARE WE COLLECTING ANNUALLY?

I collected my own household plastic from 24th, February to 24th, March 2022 and estimated my annual plastic collection rate.

The charity, RECOUP, does a UK Household Plastics Collection Surveys each year. I have copied mine, and its figures for 2019 and 2021 into the table below.

RECOUP survey results for Plastic per household per year in 2019 and 2021. I averaged my own results for plastic collected from 24.02.22 to 24.03.22
	RECOUP 2019 (kg)	RECOUP 2021 (approx kg)	My Collection  2022 (kg)
Plastic bottles + Pots, tubs, trays	12.65  + 6.91	14 + 6	12.9
Plastic film	0.86	1	2.6
TOTAL PER YEAR	20.42	21	15.50

My total is less than RECOUP’s, however both are small compared to the effort that goes into collecting and sorting. If I am right, valued at up to £400 per tonne my collection will be worth about £6 per year. 

Other recycling materials are collected. They all save resources. Bear in mind that less than 50% of recycling collected is recyclable. Should the cost to the environment and the effect on climate change of fossil fuel driven recycling wagons be accounted for? Recycle Angel shows there is another way!

I am grateful to RECOUP for allowing me to include the figures in this blog.

REFERENCES

recoup-uk-household-plastics-collection-survey-2019-1591878883.pdf  Item Performance Rate – Average Collection Rates per Household per Year, 2019 

recoup-uk-household-plastics-collection-survey-2021-1637743422.pdf. Item 

Household Collection Performance. Household Collection Rates, 2021

Fred Page © 2022

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