Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Cabinet Member for Environment, outlined at the Full Council meeting on Wednesday (27 July) that plans to introduce weekly food waste collections and other improvements to household waste services to drive up recycling, have been put on hold until 2023.
Cllr Jefferies said: "All the improvements we're planning will benefit the environment by helping us all recycle more while at the same time reduce the impact waste collection and disposal has on our carbon footprint. The deferment will help us to make sure that our plans are in line with government guidance, offer the best possible solutions to increase recycling rates long term and allow us to carry out exciting education projects in schools about the importance of recycling in the meantime.
"We had initially planned to make the changes highlighted in the 10-year Municipal Waste Management Strategy this September but, with the government set to publish a range of guidance for local authority waste management later this year, we have decided to push back this date to make sure that our plans meet with new statutory obligations.
"Another advantage of waiting until 2023 to introduce the changes is that we will be able to access the government's 'New Burdens Fund', which will cover the costs of the changes that we need to make to the household waste collection service, which will come as a result of the new guidance.
"In the meantime we will continue to innovate and improve our waste services to encourage residents to recycle as much as possible as we maintain the current collections of dry recycling, garden and food waste and general refuse."