Leading councillors have given the green light to start a trial kerbside collection scheme for textiles and small waste electrical and electronic items.
The eight-month pilot was approved by Chichester District Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday 2 February. The trial will start this summer, covering 75% of the population of Chichester District. Items such as old toasters, kettles and hairdryers will be collected in a separate reusable bag as part of the fortnightly recycling collection.
The trial has been funded by a £68,000 grant from West Sussex County Council, and will run until early 2022. After the results are reviewed and analysed, Cabinet councillors will be asked to decide whether or not the service should be made permanent across the whole district.
Analysis carried out three years ago by West Sussex County Council found that the county’s black waste contained approximately 4.4% of textiles and 0.9% of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). A permanent scheme could increase the district’s recycling levels by up to 2.5%.
“We are always keen to do more to help improve recycling rates and we are delighted to announce this trial scheme,” says Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment at Chichester District Council. “With the environment and climate change at the forefront of residents’ minds, we want to do all that we can to enable residents to make a positive difference.
“We already collect a wide range of materials for recycling such as foil; pots, tubs and trays; glass; cartons and aerosol cans as well as plastic bottles, cans, paper and card. This new trial will further expand on this and enable residents to prevent even more of their waste from going to landfill.
“We are expecting the Government to introduce new legislation requiring all waste collection authorities to introduce separate collections for textiles and small WEEE by 2025. By running a trial now we will be getting prepared and ahead of the game in time for these changes.”
Full details of how the scheme will work will be released nearer the time and will be placed on the council’s website.
Residents can find further recycling tips at https://www.chichester.gov.uk/recyclingadvice
