New Forest District Council (NFDC) has continued to plan for improved recycling in the district, following the latest government update on national plans for waste and recycling,
The government’s plan includes the requirement for all local authorities in England to collect the same recyclable waste streams, including food waste, by March 2026.
A timeline and plan for new waste and recycling services for the New Forest was discussed at NFDC’s Cabinet meeting today (Wednesday 21 February).
Cllr Geoffery Blunden, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, said “We are moving forwards with our plans to reduce household waste and improve recycling for the district.
“From Spring 2025, we are proposing to introduce new weekly food waste collections. And we will collect recycling one week, and general waste the next week, using wheeled bins.
“Food waste will be recycled using a process called anaerobic digestion, which creates electricity and fertiliser for farms.
This will make a significant impact in reducing the amount of general waste that’s thrown away across the district and contribute to the UK government’s recycling rate target of 65% by 2035.
“Once a timeline for service change has been agreed, officers will begin further work to deliver the new service.
This will include purchasing the necessary vehicles and containers, recruiting staff and a full communication and engagement plan.
“I am confident these plans will support us to modernise our service and be more sustainable.
As with any change on this scale, we need to be flexible, and our priority will be to support our residents as we all work together to reduce waste and increase recycling.”
NFDC is proposing to phase in changes from Spring 2025 across three geographical areas.
This means, depending on where residents live in the district, they will start to receive new waste and recycling services between Spring and Autumn 2025.
There will be a stage 2 of service change which will include NFDC collecting extra recyclable materials, such as plastics, foil, and cartons.
They will also review whether glass can be collected every 2 weeks from the recycling wheeled bin.
This stage 2 of service change cannot start until Hampshire County Council (HCC) provide new recycling sorting facilities in the county to process extra materials.
Following the government’s latest update in late 2023, HCC are working with all Hampshire local authorities to confirm how new materials will be collected and sorted.
This work is due to be completed in April 2024 and means that new sorting facilities will not be ready until 2026 at the earliest.
The government has announced they will provide funding to local authorities who must introduce a new food waste collection service by 2026. NFDC are currently expecting to receive £1.8M for the 2024/25 financial year which will go towards vehicles and containers needed for the new service.
The updated timeline and plan for service change, will now go to NFDC’s Council meeting on Monday 26 February, 6.30pm.
Residents can view the latest updates about NFDC’s plans for new waste and recycling services at newforest.gov.uk/wastestrategy.
