Plans unveiled to boost New Forest's recycling rates
They're currently among the lowest anywhere in the country
Homes in the New Forest could be getting wheelie bins for the first time, as part of efforts to boost recycling rates in the district.
The area currently recycles 34% of all of its waste, a lower rate than around three-quarters of local authorities in England.
That figure is also well below the UK's national target of 55% by 2025.
Now New Forest District Council (NFDC) bosses have put forward a new waste strategy, which would allow households to recycle food waste, a wider range of plastics, and have more frequent glass collections from 2024.
A decision is expected to be taken at a council meeting in July.
Cllr Steve Davies, New Forest District Council’s portfolio holder for environment, said,
“Making changes to our waste and recycling service is vital. Not least because we are in a climate and nature emergency.
“We must meet Environment Act laws, due to be confirmed by government, reduce our waste, and increase our recycling.
“The current service uses 10 million single-use sacks per year. Many of our residents are keen to move to a wheelie bin service for their waste, but we know changing from sacks to wheelie bins raises questions.
"We know that not all homes will have space for wheelie bins, we know larger families may need larger bins, and we know some people will need assistance with their collections, just as we offer now. And so, we have done detailed work in our proposals to provide flexibility in our service for residents and address any local issues."
The final waste strategy will provide details on how proposed new containers and the collection of a wider range of recyclable materials will reduce waste and carbon emissions and increase recycling rates.
Cllr Davies has pledged that NFDC will help residents adapt to the new waste system.
“We will have events and demos of the new bins, we will provide information on what goes where, and when it will be collected, and we will have experts available to answer any questions.”
For the technical and detailed information about the proposals, the full draft waste strategy can be read on NFDC’s website.