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Executive Summary
Introduction
Strategic Waste Funding has been awarded by the Scottish Executive to all 32 Scottish local authorities to assist in the roll out of kerbside collection schemes. The majority of these schemes focus on the collection of recyclate and green waste from single-occupancy dwellings. However, multi-occupancy dwellings account for a substantial part of the Scottish housing stock. Nationally, 33% of households are in multi-occupancy properties. These properties tend to be concentrated in large towns and cities and the proportion of multi-occupancy dwellings can be locally much greater.
Multi-occupancy properties face particular problems and difficulties in the storage and collection of recoverable waste. At present the only recycling provision for many of these properties is local recycling centres and points. The challenge for many local authorities will be to implement viable recycling schemes for multi-occupancy properties in a cost effective manner.
The principal aim of this project is evaluate the performance and cost-effectiveness of seven multi-occupancy pilot recycling schemes that are being carried out across Scotland
The Pilot Schemes
The seven pilot schemes are summarised in the Table 1 below
Table 1 Summary of seven pilot schemes
Local Authority | Housing Type | Description of Pilot Scheme | Materials Collected | Number of households served |
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Aberdeen City | Tenements | On-street communal bins | Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cans | 1144 |
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Dundee City | High-rise | Near-entrance recycling facilities for High-Rise blocks | Glass, aluminium cans, paper, and cardboard | 168 |
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City of Edinburgh | Tenements | On street communal bins | Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, drinks cartons, and cans | 3274 |
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Falkirk | Low-rise blocks | Doorstep weekly collection | Paper, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles | 844 |
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Glasgow City | Tenements | Backcourt recycling bins. Fortnightly collection | Paper, cans, and plastic bottles | 5000 |
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South Lanarkshire | Low-rise blocks | Backcourt recycling. Alternate weekly collection | Paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, and cans | 2510 |
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West Dunbartonshire | Tenements and low-rise blocks | Doorstep fortnightly collection | Paper, cans, and plastic bottles | 4080 |
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Pilot scheme performance evaluation
The performance of each scheme was assessed against a set of six performance indicators. This assessment was carried out over a six month period between August 2005 and January 2006. Table 2 summarises the performance of each pilot scheme.
Table 2 Summary of Pilot Scheme Performance
Local Authority | Type of Scheme | Number of households | Pilot Scheme Diversion Rate (kg/hh/wk) | Householder Participation 1 (%) | Householder Satisfaction 1 (%) |
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Aberdeen City | On-street | 1877 | 0.66 | 50 | 92 |
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Dundee City | Near-entrance | 168 | 1.36 | 61 | 95 |
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City of Edinburgh | On-street | 3274 | 1.17 | 68 | 88 |
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Falkirk | Doorstep | 1798 | 1.59 | 66 2 | 95 |
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Glasgow City | Backcourt | 5000 | 1.91 | 84 | 93 |
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South Lanarkshire | Backcourt | 2510 | 1.90 | 90 | 90 |
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West Dunbartonshire | Doorstep | 4080 | 1.29 | 66 | 92 |
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1 Based on findings of door-to-door surveys carried out by The Scottish Waste Awareness Group. Householder satisfaction is based on the percentage of respondents to SWAG surveys who said they were using the scheme and were satisfied with the service provided.
2 The actual participation level is likely to be much greater (see section 7.2.2).
Detailed waste analysis
In addition to the door-to-door surveys carried out by the Scottish Waste Awareness Group ( SWAG), which focussed on perceptions and behaviours as reported by the householders, a detailed pre- and mid-scheme waste analysis was carried out on the aggregate waste from a sample of ~150 households within each pilot area and a matched control area. This analysis determined the detailed waste composition of the residual waste stream in both the pilot and control areas, together with the composition of collected recyclates. Each sampling period was of two week's duration. The actual waste analysis was undertaken using standard procedures.
Ideally, a longer period of sampling would have been useful to reduce temporal variability. Nevertheless, some useful conclusions and comparisons between the schemes could be drawn relating to the effect of the pilot scheme in changing behaviour (as reflected by changes in the proportion of target recyclate in residual waste stream); scheme efficiency (as reflected by the relative amounts of recyclate collected and that remaining in the residual waste stream) and the extent of recyclate diversion from existing recycling schemes (as reflected by any increase in the aggregate amount of recyclate arising from the pilot area).
Cost-effectiveness analysis
A cost-effectiveness analysis has been carried out for the collection system utilised by each pilot scheme. The costs used in this analysis are based on each council's own projected large-scale roll out costs of the schemes to multi-occupancy properties in their area. This analysis is summarised in Table 3.
Table 3 Cost-effectiveness analysis for large scale rollout
Local Authority | Type of Scheme | Number of households | Projected Diversion Rate (kg/hh/yr) | Total projected amount of recyclate diverted (tonnes/yr) | Estimated Rate of Recycling (%) 1 | Total Cost per tonne of recyclate diverted (£) 2 |
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Aberdeen City | On-street | 8,500 | 34 | 289 | 5 | 390 |
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Dundee City | Near-entrance | 2,020 | 71 | 143 | 17 | 118 |
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City of Edinburgh | On-street | 60,000 | 72 | 4,320 | 13 | 167 |
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Falkirk | Doorstep | 6,300 | 80 | 504 | 17 | 433 |
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Glasgow City | Backcourt | 108,791 | 99 | 10,770 | 27 | 195 |
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South Lanarkshire | Backcourt | 6,500 | 93 | 605 | 24 | 144 |
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West Dunbartonshire | Doorstep | 12,000 | 65 | 780 | 12 | 233 |
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1 Based on waste analysis data. This represents a 'snap-shot' of waste composition in each area (see section 11).
2 For 2006/07. Based on operational expenditure and annual capital investment cost.
Summary
Participation and recyclate diversion rates
In all but one local authority, the introduction of the pilot schemes resulted in a significant increase in the number of people recycling.
The two backcourt recycling schemes, Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, had the highest participation and projected diversion rates. Participation and projected diversion rates for the on-street and doorstep schemes were typically 15% - 25% lower. It should be noted that an existing doorstep scheme, which has been provided to 1084 high-rise properties in Falkirk since October 2004, has achieved a diversion rate comparable to the backcourt schemes.
Cost effectiveness of scheme rollout
Dundee's near-entrance scheme is projected to have the lowest cost per tonne (£118) of material collected. However, the number of houses to which the scheme could be rolled out to in Dundee is relatively low. As a result, the additional costs to the Council of implementation and operation are relatively low.
Three other schemes - South Lanarkshire, Glasgow City, and City of Edinburgh - also have rollout costs of less than £200/tonne. These are either backcourt or on-street recycling schemes. Of these, South Lanarkshire has the lowest cost at £144/tonne.
The costs for the doorstep recycling schemes range between £233 and £433/tonne. If these schemes could achieve the same diversion rate as the existing Falkirk scheme, then costs would be in the region of £155 and £340 respectively.
Recommendations
Multi-occupancy recycling schemes will need to be implemented with consideration of the existing residual collection system and the predominant type of multi-occupancy property (e.g. high-rise blocks, tenements, low-rise blocks). Therefore, there is no single system that can be recommended for all multi-occupancy properties in Scotland.
Projected rollout costs for Scotland's two largest cities - Glasgow and Edinburgh - are similar (< £200/tonne). These different schemes are considered to be good practical solutions for each city. South Lanarkshire's scheme was similar to Glasgow's, but has a lower projected cost per tonne. This scheme is also a suitable option considering the residual waste collection system and property types found in South Lanarkshire.
Aberdeen City's pilot scheme was similar to that of Edinburgh's. However, the scheme's performance would have to significantly increase for it to be cost effective.
It is reasonable to assume that West Dunbartonshire's doorstep schemes could be improved to reduce its costs to around £200/tonne. It is recommended that Falkirk Council look for ways to improve the cost efficiency of their doorstep scheme before large-scale rollout. Falkirk Council have already indicated that they will be moving from a kerbside sort to a commingled collection, which would improve efficiency and reduce costs for the current pilot area.
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