More than £280k to be spent on extra waste lorries and bins in Suffolk
The extra money will also allow the council to extend the current recycling service to about 1,130 customers who do not have one.
A Suffolk council has approved more than £280,000 for extra waste lorries and bins.
The spending was unanimously approved yesterday evening by members of West Suffolk’s cabinet as a way for the council to meet the Government’s new recycling rules.
The new rules require non-domestic organisations such as schools, care homes and hospitals, as well as businesses with 10 or more employees, to separate food waste and dry recycling from general waste by March 2025, one year ahead of households being required to do the same.
Yesterday’s proposals were for £245,000 to be invested over eight years into buying two additional waste lorries, with a one-off £38,000 payment for extra food waste and recycling bins.
Cllr Dave Taylor, who proposed the investment, said: “While the legislation represents a challenge to local authorities and to businesses and non-domestic organisations, it also provides an opportunity to take a big leap forward in recycling.
The extra money will also allow the council to extend the current recycling service to about 1,130 customers who do not have one.
When requirements for housholds come into effect, it will also mean weekly food waste collections to 80,000 homes.
In total, the council is expecting to collect 127 more tonnes of dry waste every year and generate £395,000 in extra income.
Cllr Taylor added: “West Suffolk Council and its predecessor councils have a strong history of providing trade waste services to local businesses and organisations since the 1990s.
“Introducing these new services will enable the council to continue to provide trade waste and recycling collections locally and maintain a significant income stream which helps fund important council services.”