Which option for waste and recycling collections will you choose?

Cheltenham Borough Council consultation starts on 17 October

Consultation runs from 17 October - 14 November 2016

Cheltenham residents are being invited to choose their preferred option for waste and recycling collections as a consultation goes live today, at Cheltenham Borough Council waste and recycling survey.

Three options for the valued service area are being presented to residents and all will include the opportunity to recycle more materials from the kerbside.  Residents are urged to have their say before the new service launches next year.

The consultation follows an initial survey held during the summer when people were asked how they feel about the council's waste and recycling service.  This gave the council a very clear indication of the areas people were happy with and those which could be improved.  Using this data, the council has now been able to put forward three options for waste and recycling collections:

Option A:  No change to the way your waste and recycling is collected

Your green wheeled bin (refuse) and green recycling boxes will continue to be collected every other week and the boxes/bins you currently use will stay the same. You will simply benefit from being able to recycle more items from outside your own home. This type of collection service helps ensure that the quality of recyclables collected remains high. The council has the money to pay for this service.

Predicted increase in recycling: 2%
Lowest predicted extra cost: £146,000 per year

Option B - Waste is collected every three weeks, with recycling collected weekly

Your bins/boxes will stay the same, but your recycling will be increased to a weekly collection. To pay for this, your green wheeled bin (refuse) collection will be reduced to every 3 weeks. It may be that a more frequent recycling collection will mean that you will use your green wheeled (refuse) bin less. This option would save the council money and could improve on the amount of recycling we can collect.

Predicted increase in recycling: 7%
Lowest predicted extra cost:  No extra cost, a saving of £8,400 per year

Option C - An additional wheeled bin to collect your recycle

Your green wheeled bin and recycling will still be collected every other week but you will have a wheeled bin to collect your recycling. You will also still have a separate recycling box so that we can collect your glass separately.

Note:The cost of providing extra wheelie bins (£1million) makes this the most expensive option, so this service can only be paid for if we cut services or raise more money elsewhere. If we cannot find these savings, then we cannot support this option even if it is the most popular

Predicted increase in recycling: 3%
Lowest predicted extra cost: £267,400 per year

So that residents feel that they can make an informed choice, the predicted recycling rates and cost implications of each option are presented within the consultation.

Councillor Chris Coleman, cabinet member for clean and green environment said: "Our recycling vehicles are old and need replacing next year so it is the perfect time for us all to think about how our waste and recycling will be collected in the future - I would like you to have a say in what we do.  At the moment the good news is that approximately 46% of all waste collected in Cheltenham is recycled which is great. The new up to date vehicles will have more space so we can collect more recycling including extra items like plastic pots, tubs and trays, more cardboard and possibly textiles, batteries or small electrical items. 

"The bad news is that over half the rubbish produced by households locally still ends up in landfill - a hole in the ground.

"For a number of years central government has cut the amount of money it gives to Cheltenham Borough Council to provide all of its services and this directly affects you.  We have some difficult decisions to make and they will not be popular with everyone, which is why we want to know what you think we should do differently with the waste and recycling service we provide going forward.  Please take part in the survey so that we know how to shape our services."

The consultation will be available from 17 October on the council's website (Cheltenham Borough Council) (or visit Cheltenham Borough Council waste and recycling survey) and hard copies will be available at the main council receptions, Cheltenham Borough Homes receptions, local community resource centres, the main Cheltenham library and Shopmobility (as listed below).

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For press enquiries contact: Katie Sandey, communications and web team leader, telephone 01242 775037, email communications@cheltenham.gov.uk

Notes:

Up to and including 14 November, the survey is available at the following locations around the town:

• Main reception, Municipal Offices
• Cash hall, Municipal Offices
• Built environment reception, Municipal Offices
• Cemetery and crematorium, Bouncers Lane
• Central depot, Swindon Lane
• Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square