BCP Council currently has no plans to reduce bin collections despite budget challenges
If approved, Bristol would be the first council in the UK to do this. However, BCP Council’s cabinet member, Andy Hadley, said they have no plans for similar changes.
Instead, BCP Council is expanding services. Starting next year, all households will have food waste collections. This change aims to boost recycling rates by six percent and save around £200,000.
Hadley noted that many councils face budget challenges, and Bristol is not alone. BCP will develop a long-term waste strategy to align with new government environmental policies.
They aim for a national recycling rate target of 65 percent by 2035. In 2023/24, BCP achieved a recycling rate of 47.3 percent, ranking 13th among unitary authorities in England.
A council report revealed that food waste makes up 34 percent of household refuse. Alarmingly, 76 percent of this waste is avoidable. Additionally, 51 percent of refuse could have been recycled.
BCP Council’s commercial waste services collect refuse from 2,670 locations and recycling from 1,460 locations. This generates £4.9 million in income, supporting waste management services.
