New ten-year plan unveiled to reduce waste and boost recycling

Over the past 15 years, waste from households across North Somerset has halved from around 60,000 tonnes in 2005/6 to around 30,000 tonnes in 2019/20. However there is more to do, as set out in North Somerset’s Recycling and Waste Strategy 2021-30, which was formally approved by the council’s Executive yesterday (2 February).

The new strategy was developed in consultation with local residents and businesses. It aims to reduce further the amount of waste produced locally by encouraging people to change the way they think about waste and to prioritise reducing, reusing and then recycling.

Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, the council has been developing a range of measures to tackle the challenge. The strategy sets out a wide range of actions over the next decade to achieve:

1. A reduction in residual waste (waste that is not recycled or reused) of 15 per cent below the level of 2019/20 by 2030.
2. A recycling rate of 70 per cent by 2030.
3. Diversion of all non-recyclable, kerbside collected household waste away from landfill by end of 2022.
4. Improved recycling facilities at all flat blocks and more food waste collections in phases in line with the Environment Act (2021) by 2023.
5. Expansion of the commercial waste service to serve more businesses, schools and events in North Somerset each year.
6. Fewer incidents of litter and fly-tipping in North Somerset through improved reporting, increasing education and enforcement activities.
7. Improved appearance of our streets and open spaces.
8. Progress towards a circular economy where waste is treated as a valuable resource rather than disposed of.

Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “Transforming the way that we manage waste is a vital part of the fight against climate change and helps to deliver our vision for a greener North Somerset.

“Recycling rates have improved over the past ten years, and we are now the best performing council in the south west and seventh in England. However, there’s still more to do. We know that 45 per cent of an average household bin in North Somerset contains material that could have been recycled, 27 per cent of which is food waste. Just on this point alone, food waste is a valuable material that we can turn into biogas to power homes. Our new recycling and waste strategy will help us to focus on reducing and reusing resources first and foremost.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the 1,500 people and the 13 organisations who shaped this strategy by sharing their views and ideas during last year’s consultation. The plans are ambitious but by working together we really can make a difference.”

Read the full strategy on the council’s website at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/wastestrategy

North Somerset Council will produce an annual summary to show the progress it’s making on the strategy.

North Somerset’s Recycling and Waste team can be found on social media using the following links: Facebook (nsrecyclingandwaste) and Twitter (ns_recycling).

ENDS