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waste collection there is a case for direct charging for collection of waste and recycling. We have a situation where we directly pay for use of electricity, water and gas. The water meter has made us conscious of our cost of use." Answering the critics fears of fortnightly collections leading to health/vermin/fly-tipping problems. Baird says that food waste will be collected weekly and if residents recycle their materials properly they should not have problems. He continues: "The focus should not be on the fact that this is a three-weekly waste collection but a look at the service as a whole. Phrases such as alternate weekly and fortnightly collections do not mean that weekly services have ended. We are still delivering a service on a weekly basis and this is all part of a sustainable waste service." What will this mean for recycling and waste management companies? What will be the implications of three- weekly collections on them? Sita chief executive David Palmer-Jones says: "As a recycling and resource management company, we collect residual waste and recyclable materials on behalf of our municipal customers. The collection strategies we employ are most often at the request of our customers and are not based on any single factor alone, but a mixture of geographic, practical, logistical, financial and political factors. "Therefore, it is up to local authorities to specify collection methods that work for their areas and are appropriate to their own circumstances - which will always also have to take public acceptability into account as a factor. However, as a company, we favour any collection method that is proven, through trials, to improve recycling rates and minimise the volume of residual waste in any given area." Introducing three-weekly waste collections is not for everyone. Can you envisage this happening in some London boroughs? With so many flatted properties it would be difficult to implement on a logistical basis. Speaking about his weekly collection guidance, dubbed the 'Bin Bible', Communities Secretary Eric Pickles criticised councils opting for three- weekly collections. He says: "A recent YouGov poll showed residents perceive waste collection to be the most important service that local authorities provide. They deserve a first class service in return for their council tax and I hope the innovative ideas showcased in this guidance provide practical help for both council officers and councillors." According to the 'Bin Bible', many "successful bids" to the DCLG's 'Weekly Collection Support Scheme' will be making sizeable improvements to recycling rates whilst maintaining weekly collections of residual waste. Cornwall Council was a successful bidder to receive funds from the scheme. The council has always had in place weekly residual collections, and the fund was drawn down to look at various areas including food waste reduction (at the home) and also mixed plastics collections. Speaking about the issue of monthly collections and voicing a personal opinion, principal service commissioning officer Verity Palk says: "Obviously the frequency of collections depends on the local authority, the budget savings they have to make, the waste tonnages, geographical impacts and political steer. I think that the decision should be made locally as there are many factors that can impact on this. Cornwall Council decided, when tendering its collection contract, to stay with weekly residual waste collections. Cornwall Council does not have a separate food waste collection, and does not provide containment for residual waste." The future of waste collections is very interesting. Councils Gwynedd and Torfean, both based in Wales, may follow in Falkirk's footsteps. The system may not suit everyone, but clearly it can work. 14 Local Authority Waste & Recycling May 2014 • Recycle/compost/prepare for reuse: • 50% of household waste by 2013; • 60% of household waste by 2020; and • 70% of all wastes by 2025 Obligations on Scottish local authorities, due to the ZWP Scotland's Zero Waste Plan and the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012: " There is a case for charging for waste collection. " Ian Goodfellow, former MD of Shanks

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