RECOUP has released a survey of nearly 100 local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the goal of achieving an insight into the provision and collection “on the go”.
According to the company, it became apparent that this type of disposal in the UK was failing, and that there is an inadequate “on the go” collection system for recycling and residual waste.
It has said that the key barriers around developing recycling “on the go” infrastructure include:
High levels of contamination
Insufficient budget for consumer communications and education
Procurement, maintenance and collection costs.
The survey has found that for many local authorities, the cost vs benefit doesn’t add up.
RECOUP say that this is due to significant costs in providing “on the go” collection services, and high levels of contamination from the materials.
It also said that many of the local authorities believe that the budget could be spent more effectively, either on increasing quantities or decreasing contamination in kerbside collections.
Investment is urgently needed to create a case for “on the go” collection schemes, say RECOUP, as it was reported good data is essential to assess costs and potential benefits.
Funding is also needed for installation of bins, scheme maintenance and consumer education.
RECOUP technical manager Steve Morgan said: “We are increasingly seeing the priority placed to “on the go“ services to reduce litter and also provide services for the public to recycle away from home. This survey shows the scale of the challenges that local authorities are facing to provide effective collection services.”
