Dacorum Taxpayers Shell Out £150,000 to Deal with Misplaced Recycling

Strategic Insights -

Dacorum residents had to pay out more than £150,000 in 2020-21 to deal with waste misplaced in recycling bins, according to figures. The waste was found to not be recyclable, leading to costly disposal. The issue is part of a larger problem, with English councils estimated to have lost around £60 million last year due to mislabelled or non-recyclable waste. The Local Government Association is pushing for clearer labelling on packaging to avoid such issues.

Key Takeaways:

  • Dacorum Borough Council collected 63,975 tonnes of waste in the year to March, up from 57,908 the year before.
  • 1,658 tonnes of waste collected by Dacorum Borough Council were rejected at the point of sorting, more than the 1,456 tonnes rejected the previous year.
  • Recycling charity Wrap estimates that waste disposed of as recycling, which is then found not to be recyclable, costs councils around £93 per tonne to dispose of.
  • The estimated cost of rejected waste for Dacorum taxpayers in 2020-21 alone is £154,194.
  • The Local Government Association is calling for improved labelling on packaging to reduce mislabelled or non-recyclable waste.
  • David Renard, environment spokesman for the LGA, highlighted the issue as a significant burden on councils, citing manufacturers producing non-recyclable plastic packaging as a key contributor.

Statistics:

  • 1,658 tonnes of waste collected by Dacorum Borough Council were rejected at the point of sorting in the year to March (2020-21).
  • 63,975 tonnes of waste were collected by Dacorum Borough Council in the year to March (2020-21), up from 57,908 the year before.
  • 647,000 tonnes of recycling were rejected across England in the year to March, up from 525,000 tonnes the year before.
  • Estimated cost of rejected waste for Dacorum taxpayers in 2020-21 alone is £154,194.
  • £60 million estimated cost for English councils last year due to mislabelled or non-recyclable waste.
  • £93 per tonne estimated cost to dispose of rejected waste, according to Wrap.

Sources:

  • [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - NO DATE]
  • [Local Government Association, NO DATE]
  • [Wrap - Sustainability Agency, NO DATE]
  • [Dacorum Borough Council, NO DATE]