Defra Figures Confirm Biffa Served Authority Best in England for Third Year : 66.6% Recycling Rate Keeps South Oxfordshire District Council Top of the Table

For the third consecutive year South Oxfordshire District Council has kept its place at the top of the recycling league table in England with a recycling rate of 66.6%.

The council, whose recycling and refuse is collected by municipal contractor Biffa, topped the table of England’s local authorities published by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Biffa noted that neighbouring authority Vale of White Horse District Council, which it also services as part of a joint contract, was placed fourth.

South Oxfordshire’s recycling, reuse and composting rate of 66.6% for 2015-16 saw it retain the title that it has won since 2013-14. Vale of White Horse took fourth place with a 64.8% rate, two places down on 2014-15. It topped the table in 2011/12.

The two authorities use Biffa to provide weekly separate food waste collections, bi-weekly dry recycling, refuse and chargeable green waste collections, and collections of household waste textiles and small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Both councils have extended Biffa’s joint contract for a further seven years effective from 2017.

Biffa pointed out that for the fourth year running it is the only waste contractor or service provider to have more than one authority in the top ten table.

Aside from the top pair, the other Biffa-serviced councils are Surrey Heath Borough Council, ranked fifth with a recycling rate of 62.1%, and Stratford-on-Avon District Council (seventh), which recorded 60.4%.

Stalling Nationally

Biffa Municipal managing director Roger Edwards highlighted the fact that England’s household waste recycling rate has slipped slightly from 43.7% in 2014-15 to 43% in 2015-16. It was 11.2% in 2000-01.

“It’s well-documented that England’s recycling rate has stalled. I attribute this to greater focus on quality, closer scrutiny of ‘dry’ household recyclables at the point of collection, and increased rejection because of contamination,” he said.

“We should all work harder to ensure that household recyclables such as paper, card, plastics, and metal and glass containers are as clean as possible when put out for collection, and that they aren’t adulterated. Contamination can cause entire lorry-loads of recyclables to be rejected, at high cost to already-stretched councils,” continued Edwards.

He also warned that the achievement of a small number of high-performing authorities shouldn’t mask the fact that the country ‘has a mountain to climb’ if it is to hit the EU-mandated target of recycling 50% of its household waste by 2020, just over three years away.

“The harsh truth is that far too many councils are in the 30% recycling zone or even lower,” cautioned Edwards.

Councils Under Pressure

According to Dr Adam Read, resource efficiency and waste management practice director at consultancy Ricardo AEA, making residual waste bins smaller or collecting them less frequently can help ‘nudge’ residents towards improved recycling. Council policy about side waste, contamination enforcement and communications can also affect local recycling.

“As the Defra tables show, there are a number of authorities exceeding 60% recycling, and their experiences are invaluable for helping other authorities to recycle more,” he said.

Turning to England’s stalled recycling rate, Dr Read argued that the lack of a statutory recycling target means local authorities face less pressure to improve their recycling rates.

He added that austerity measures have also cut local communication budgets, and a drive to improve feedstock quality have increased reprocessor rejection because of recyclables contamination, eroding historic recycling rates.

“Without clear government policy or leadership, England lags behind the recycling progress of Wales and Scotland, and will continue so,” said Read. “I cannot see WRAP’s standardised collection charter filling the gap left by Defra’s reluctance to engage in this important debate.”

Read More

PAS 110 Stamp for Digestate from Biffa’s Giant Poplars Anaerobic Digestion Plant

Biffa has secured PAS 110 accreditation for the liquid fertiliser it produces at its 300 tonne per day Poplars anaerobic digestion facility in Cannock, Staffordshire.

BLOG: A Pictorial History of Biffa Waste Services Collection Vehicles

New book covers Biffa’s fleet of dry and liquid waste collection vehicles, as well as the key acquisitions of other UK waste companies made by the firm from the 70s.

£50m Waste & Recycling Contract for Biffa in Somerset

North Somerset Council has awarded Biffa Group a seven year contract to collect household waste and recycling, as well as manage local household waste recycling centres and collect WEEE.