The New Town and Broughton Community Council welcomes the recommendation to extend the period of the trial to increase to recycling capacity in a limited number of streets within the World Heritage Site and the recommended changes in the next phase of the trial.

We acknowledge the support that has been provided by the Council’s Waste team over the last year and in particular wish to record our thanks for the work undertaken by Karen Reeves, Hema Herkes and Anne Christie as well as the various residents’ associations in making the trial a success. Over 900 new green gull proof sacks have been distributed to residents on the nine streets included in the trial along with a supply of recyclable plastic bags and a jointly prepared communication leaflet to explain the new arrangements and encourage greater recycling. Feedback from residents and operational staff has been very positive about the change to the use of green sacks for collection of dry mixed recycling.

Although the report refers to the limited impact of the trial on the tonnage of recycling collected, our own monitoring of individual streets has shown a 250% increase in the volume of dry mixed recycling that is being collected. As the trial only covers nine streets, the tonnage being measured across all streets in the area would not be expected to be greatly affected by the initial limited trial. We therefore believe that the volume of recycling collected is a better metric for this trial. If the increase in recycling observed during the trial on just nine streets was extended to all city centre streets this would clearly have a significant impact on the achievement of the Council’s overall recycling goals. We hope that given the success of the trial that the Council will consider extending it to other streets in the future.

We look forward to working with the Council staff to increase food waste collection rates and thus reduce the amount of this waste which is going to incineration from the trial streets. Lessons learned from the next phase of the trial should hopefully inform the roll out of further efforts to boost food waste recycling across the City.

Carol Nimmo
Chair, New Town and Broughton Community Council
16 May 2023