Bulwell residents can have their say on new waste and recycling strategy for Nottingham

Developed alongside specialist partners, Frith Resource Management, the council has created a draft Municipal Resources and Waste Strategy 2023-2050.

The strategy outlines how waste and recycling could be collected differently from homes and organisations in the city to improve recycling rates, save resources, and reduce carbon emissions.

The UK Government has set out new targets to increase recycling rates to 65 per cent by 2035, while keeping landfill rates below 10 per cent, and initiatives such as food waste collections and standardisation of recycling collection systems will become obligatory.

Nottingham is already a national leader in capturing energy from waste at the Eastcroft incinerator, and the city sends only around eight per cent of waste to landfill.

However, recycling rates need to be improved significantly from the current level of 23.9 per cent to reach the Government’s target.

To increase recycling rates, the draft strategy proposes that households will get two recycling containers – paper and card would be collected separately (in a reusable bag), while other recyclable materials would continue to be collected in a wheeled bin

Separate containers would be provided to collect paper and card, plastics and cans and glass.

This ‘multi-stream’ option means that the collection crew can sort the materials into different compartments of a specialised recycling vehicle.

The council is proposing to begin food waste collections, and a trial is due to start in selected areas of the city early next year.

When collected separately, food waste can be used to create renewable electricity and ‘biogas’ which can be used as a fuel alternative to petrol and diesel.

Disposing of food waste in this way will support the city’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2028.

As food waste makes up more than 30 per cent of the rubbish in Nottingham’s bins, the council is also proposing to provide smaller bins for general waste to help encourage residents to separate their recycling and reduce the amount thrown away.

Through the consultation, the council is keen to hear which options residents, businesses and organisations in Nottingham would prefer, as well as any concerns that respondents have about the proposed changes.

After the consultation, the feedback will be independently reviewed and used to inform the final strategy.

The consultation survey can be found online here and paper copies can be downloaded and returned to drop boxes in libraries.

The council will also be running consultation events to speak to members of the public about the strategy and answer questions:

There will be an online event from 4pm to 6pm on November 2 – click here to reserve your place.

There will also be another event at Clifton Library on November 16 from 10.15am to 11.45am.

Coun Sally Longford (Lab), portfolio holder for energy, environment and waste services, said: “I would like to encourage everyone to have their say on the proposed changes to the waste service in the city.

“Your views are important to us and will allow the council to finalise the strategy in a way that works for us all.”

The public consultation is open until December 14 – for further details, click here.