Falkirk to stop glass collections over £234,000 DRS loss

Falkirk council has announced that it will stop collecting glass at the kerbside soon after the Scottish deposit return scheme (DRS) is rolled out in August, after forecasting the system will cost it £234,000.

The council's executive approved the move at a meeting on 6 December alongside rubber-stamping several other "significant" changes to its waste service, including new opening hours at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) and charges for the collection of bulky and garden waste.

Falkirk says the changes will allow waste services to meet new legislative and regulatory standards, as well as make savings and reduce the council's carbon footprint.

Scotland's DRS, the roll-out of which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, will see consumers receive 20p for returning glass, PET and aluminium drinks containers via associated retailers or reverse vending machines.

A report which went before the executive meeting said Falkirk had commissioned an independent forecast report via Zero Waste Scotland to understand the DRS's impact at a local level.

The report suggests Falkirk will save £54,000 due to residents placing less recyclate in their residual waste bins, but there will be a net loss of £234,000 due to the loss of revenue generated via the sale of glass, cans and plastic.

The report notes the forecast was made in early 2021 and the financial impact of the DRS is now likely to be "significantly greater" due to current market values.

Falkrik currently collects glass, small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and household batteries every fortnight in black boxes at the kerbside.

Falkirk's report says the existing kerbside black box collection service will "no longer be required" from September 2023 as glass bottles are included within the scope of the DRS.

Residents will be able to recycle textiles and WEEE at recycling points and HWRCs, the report says.

Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, Falkirk council's leader, said: "As a council, we have to be ready for the significant changes that are coming to waste and recycling across Scotland and these changes address that.

"In addition, the council faces a significant financial challenge with insufficient money to do the things we have always done.

"As a result, we need to take steps to become more efficient and generate additional income for services that cost the council to provide."

Aside from stopping kerbside glass collections, Falkirk will introduce a booking system at its two HWRCs and shorten opening times to 10am to 6pm. This, the council says, will improve safety on site, improve the customer experience and reduce carbon emissions from drivers idling while waiting.

As a further cost-saving measure, the council will get rid of its environmental enforcement team and cut its environmental improvement fund to £20,000.

Falkirk will also introduce a £35 charge for bulky waste collections and an annual charge of £25 for garden waste collections.

Elsewhere, Falkirk said it would expand its use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to fuel refuse collection vehicles.

Representing an estimated population of more than 160,000, Falkirk council has a recycling rate of approximately 52%.

The council began a procurement process in August as it looks to sort its residual waste treatment arrangements before a landfill ban comes into force in 2026 (see letsrecycle.com story).

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