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The University of Southampton
Engineering

New study shows fortnightly collection can increase recycling

Published: 21 January 2013

A new study from the University of Southampton, which investigated the controversial alternate weekly collection (AWC) system for residual waste and recyclables, has found that a switch from weekly to fortnightly collection increased recycling rates by up to 9 per cent and reduced collection costs.

Although the majority of local authorities in England and Wales currently operate AWCs, their impact on recycling rates and waste reduction hasn't been monitored before. There has also been political opposition to the scheme, with the communities department (DCLG) providing a £250m three-year fund to encourage councils to maintain or revert to weekly collections. (ENDS Report 455, December 2012, pp. 18-19). 

Professor Ian Williams, from the University's Centre for Environmental Sciences (CES) led the study which is the most comprehensive that has been completed on AWC systems. It compared what happened in Lichfield, Staffordshire, when the district council switched from collecting commingled dry recyclables from around 2,000 households once a week to once every fortnight. The collections alternated with separate collections of residual waste and kitchen/garden waste. 

Single and dual-stream household waste collection trials were conducted between March and June 2009 in Lichfield and compared to previous kerbside collection. The single stream collection method required residents to place all recyclables into one 240-litre wheeled bin, while in the dual stream method residents placed glass, steel and aluminium cans, and mixed plastics in a 240-litre wheeled bin and used the existing recycling boxes for paper and cardboard. 

The trials examined changes to frequency of collection, type of container issued, amounts of sorting required of residents, household participation and productivity levels. A survey of households was completed before any changes were implemented. 

Professor Williams says: "This study has clearly shown that the adoption of an AWC scheme positively impacted on recycling rates and household behaviour, with no obvious adverse impacts on public participation, household waste arisings, public health or the local environment. Participation and set-out rates and operator productivity levels also showed an increase during the trial period. The findings are embarrassing for Mr Pickles and the Government, as it highlights that their current policies are at odds with the evidence."

Over the three months, the dual stream performed better than the single stream, collecting an average of 5.94 kg/hh/week compared to an average of 5.63 kg/hh/week, while the single stream system showed a greater increase in the weight of material collected (0.53 kg/hh/week vs. 0.48 kg/hh/week). However, although the study found that the dual stream produced consistently more recyclate per household, it had several disadvantages. These included higher costs in terms of staff time and vehicles, greater complexity in explaining to householders, more difficulty for collection crews to manage, and more manual handling of boxes which was likely to increase staff health and safety concerns. 

After the trials concluded, Lichfield decided to roll out the single stream fortnightly recyclate collections in wheeled bins to all areas, achieving reduced collection costs and greater recyclate collection.

Related Staff Member

Notes for editors

Notes for editors:

1. A copy of the paper: Williams, I.D. and Cole, C. (2013) ‘The impact of alternate weekly collections on waste arising' Science of the Total Environment, is available from Media Relations on request.

2. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.  

With over 23,000 students, around 5,000 staff, and an annual turnover well in excess of £435 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.

The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres including the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Institute for Life Sciences, the Web Science Trust and Doctoral training Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute and is a partner of the National Oceanography Centre at the Southampton waterfront campus.

For further information contact:

Glenn Harris, Media Relations, University of Southampton, Tel: 023 8059 3212, email: G.Harris@soton.ac.uk

www.soton.ac.uk/mediacentre/

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