Letter to the Editor: Can the Forest of Dean afford such high cost waste collection?

The council’s waste collection and recycling systems appear to be that introduced over 15 years back. 

The usefulness of the multiple recycling collections was being discussed back in 2010 (ref The Forester 6 December 2010).

Mr Eric Pickles, then Minister for Communities and Local Government, had hit out at what he branded “barmy bin rules” that councils were implementing and ordered a review. 

Mr Pickles was not in favour of the multiplicity of collections and treatment which increased cost and also carbon dioxide release.

Given that the UK has left the EU we need not follow restrictive regulations from the past when we were subject to EU rules.

The complexity of waste treatment determines the amount of energy input and additional CO2 released over and above that occurring if left alone for nature to take its course. 

From simple chemistry, a given quantity of carbon material generates the same quantity of carbon dioxide regardless of the route taken and the chemical reactions involved. 

Household collections invariably require fuel use in transport which increases CO2 release. 

Apart from the higher cost of collections, multiple treatment systems increase fuel use and carbon release further.

Some of the treatment systems such as for food waste require high energy inputs to heat the material to kill off harmful microbes. 

Addition of green waste essential in food waste treatment adds to the total energy and CO2 release.

Collecting green waste and composting it centrally is madness in a rural district where most composted their garden trimmings at home before the service was introduced.

It is not clear whether the council had considered increased energy input and carbon dioxide emissions from the different collections and treatment systems in place to arrive at a lowest cost and lowest CO2 release options.

Information obtained from the council shows that refuse collections (once every two weeks) in the Forest of Dean now costs £1.6million,  

Recycling (including food waste) £1.3m, and garden waste ~£700,000 – total collection costs ~ £3.6m/year. 

Waste collection is also the council’s highest value contract and due for renewal in 2024. 

Treatment of the wastes costs considerably more than collection and falls within county responsibility and adds to our council charge.

Given that the annual inflation rate over 2022-23 now exceeds 10 per cent, total costs would be significantly higher in the coming years. 

The council’s waste collection contract is due for renewal in 2024 and a full review of the service with a view to simplify collections and reduce treatment costs is essential if our council tax rise is to be kept under control. 

This should also reduce carbon dioxide release.

Venk Shenoi, Blaisdon