Council leaders in Norfolk kicking up a stink about plans to introduce new food recycling rules

Reams of half-nibbled party snacks and festive nibbles will be piled in overflowing bins across the county around now, following a few weeks often marked by excess.

Food waste can cause damage to the environment and is considered a major contributor to climate change, with food recycling doing much to mitigate these issues.

Yet council leaders in Norfolk are already kicking up a stink about Government plans to introduce new food recycling rules, amid fears it will place more burden on already slim finances.

The Government intends to make it mandatory for authorities to begin collecting food scraps for recycling on a weekly basis by 2026. This will be part of its war on waste, which will usher in a raft of reforms to bin collections.

But so far the amount of money offered by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) falls far short of what is needed to make this work, with some estimates suggesting councils will be left having to find £1.3million-£1.6million to cover the costs.

It has left senior councillors criticising the Government for “penny-pinching” and officers and members wondering how they will afford to introduce the new system.

POWERED BY BANANA PEELS AND FOOD SCRAPS

Some Norfolk councils already deliver a food recycling service, which involves collecting vegetable peelings, leftover food and other organic waste. This is then sent to anaerobic digestion facilities which create electricity.

Directing more food waste to these plants will generate more sustainable energy to power homes and businesses, and cut down on the more than 18million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions currently associated with food waste, according to Defra.

“This will ensure the most unpleasant waste is dealt with quickly and reliably,” a Defra spokesman said.

However, food waste recycling is not yet offered by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), Breckland Council or South Norfolk Council (SNC).

West Norfolk Council does offer the services, with an action week last year seeing free bins handed out to residents.

The Government has offered £295million for councils to introduce food waste collection, which will cover the costs of purchasing food waste caddies for households and vehicles to collect the scraps of food.

But calculations by regional councils show the funding is less than what it will likely need to pay to introduce this.

NNDC has estimated it will face a £1.3million shortfall, while there will also be long-term running costs which are not covered by councils, such as staffing and fuel to power the new vehicles.

The new measures come in at a time when many district councils are facing large deficits in their funding.

GYBC has warned it needs to make savings to plug a £2.2million gap next year, while NNDC has said it has a £1.8million shortfall.

SNC also predicts a growing gap of funds which could reach £1.8million in five years’ time.

‘RUBBISH REFORMS’

While the exact details of the scheme and its financing are yet to be finalised, it has left leaders worried about the challenges they face to bring it in.

Paul Wells, cabinet member for environment and waste at GYBC, said: “While fully supportive of the goal of introducing food waste collections, I am extremely concerned that it appears the Government plans to penny pinch and not give councils the resources they require to actually deliver the service.

“These plans require considerable upfront and ongoing expenditure and it appears that local taxpayers will be left covering the gap created by the Government.

“It is not unreasonable to ask the Government to cover the bill they are imposing on local councils.”

He estimates GYBC will need 15 additional staff to provide the service, which will be a significant cost to the council.

Tim Adams, leader of NNDC, claims the food waste collection will increase carbon emissions due to the vehicles required.

He also believes there will not be enough plastic polymer available to create the new bins and food waste caddies needed.

He said: “Central government has not understood the cost properly.

“There is lots of work to do but it’s proving there is a lot to consider for rural councils as we will have more miles to cover than urban areas.”

Cllr Adams also believes plastic film recycling by councils, planned for introduction in 2027, will face similar hurdles.

“There is a lot of volatility in the recycling market. There is no value in plastic film, so whether that goes ahead we will see,” he said.

Keith Kiddie, cabinet member for environment at SWC, warned the scheme will require spending a “huge amount of money” and estimates annual operating costs will be between £1.3million-£1.5million.

He said: “Depending on the final scheme introduced, it is estimated that SNC may face a capital shortfall of £500,000.”

A spokesman for Defra said it is reviewing the funding it will offer, which may also include provision for ongoing service costs.