Less waste, less recycling - so where’s everything going?

Tuesday 15 October 2024

Falling waste and recycling levels may reflect changes and events from previous years.

Guernsey Waste has released its annual report for 2023.

Pictured: The Longue Hougue Household Waste and Reclamation Centre on Bulwer Avenue.

It shows a 1% decrease in overall waste compared to 2022, a 1% decrease in commercial waste, less recycling, and less inert waste.

The company states that they have, ahead of time, just fallen short of their recycling goals for 2030. It gives them six years to close the gap from 68% of material classified as household waste being recycled, reused or composted, up to 70%. The number is in line with stats from 2022.

Guernsey Waste say there is still an impact from covid lingering. The amount of material disposed of at the Household Waste & Recycling Centre stayed high, at around 3,000 tonnes. The figure is three times larger than before covid and is mostly made up of wood, furniture and other bulky items that are unable to be reused or recycled. 

In their report they state: “This increase is thought likely to reflect a rise in home improvement and/or replacement of large household items post-covid. It may also include some diversion of commercial waste by small businesses.”

The report shows that during 2023 the amount of household waste collected to recycle, reuse or compost was the lowest since the new form of rubbish collection was brought in. 

By not seeing a balanced out rise in the amount of black bag waste collected, Guernsey Waste say it is most likely because of the amount of commercial rubbish that was deposited at sites around the island. “This suggests the downturn reflects a diversion of some commercial recycling away from the household stream. This follows the closure of bring bank facilities in April 2023.”

Pictured: The closure of the Bring Banks last April was supposed to save the Islands coffers around £100,000. 

There has also been an increase in waste being used to make Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) or shredded wood (Biomass) by 6% compared to 2022, collected food waste was down by 2%, and although inert waste and its usage for land reclamation were both still higher than the averages over five years, both the collection and usage of inert waste was lower than the year before. 

Guernsey Waste is celebrating Recycle Week 2024 until 21st of October. You can read about their plans for engaging with the public here.