Co-mingling does not increase tonnage – WasteDataFlow analysis reveals.

The most comprehensive analysis of WasteDataFlow returns yet has revealed that single stream co-mingled collection systems are NOT collecting greater tonnages than kerbside sort systems.

WRAP recently analysed the waste data flow returns of 354 local authorities for 07/08. They concluded that there is “no statistically significant difference” between the performances of kerbside sort and co-mingled schemes in yield terms. The median yield for kerbside sort schemes was 180 kg/hh/yr as opposed to single stream collection systems where the median amount of material recycled was 175 kg/hh/yr..

The study was undertaken as a way of establishing benchmarks so that authorities could compare and understand the performance of different systems. Looking at the 36% of authorities that were collecting the five main materials at kerbside (paper, card, cans, plastic, glass), for example, WRAP found that local authorities with high performance were collecting over 216 Kg per household per year (Kg/hh/yr) while those with low performance were collecting less than 140 Kg/hh/yr. WRAP produced similar benchmarks for four other collection mixes of the five main materials.

The findings were originally revealed by Linda Crichton, manager of ROTATE, at the Campaigns “Who Sorts Wins” event in Birmingham and published in full by WRAP in early December. Phil Hurst of the CRR commented: “This blows aside the old “we moved from kerbside sort to co-mingled and saw a big jump in tonnages” argument. As we suspected all along, tonnages increase through a wide variety of factors and the influence of publicity promoting a new system cannot be simply discounted as insignificant.”

The analysis also highlighted wide ranges in yields per household for individual materials such paper and card. Local authorities demonstrating the best performance managed to collect more than 155 Kg of paper and card per household per year, while those demonstrating low performance managed to collect just 95 kg per household per year or less. Similarly huge variations were found in mixed glass collections ranging from less than 29 kg/hh/yr up to 78 kg/hh/yr.

The full report can be found at www.realrecycling.org.uk/resources.

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