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Household recycling rates peaked at the end of last year, as people began to prepare for Guernsey's new rubbish systems.
States Trading Assets have just released their waste management statistics for 2017, the final year under the old system, and they show people were already continuing to recycle more and more.
50.1% of all of Guernsey's household waste was recycled, for example, 2% up on the previous year.
As the last year using Mont Cuet to its full extent, waste inputs were also down to their lowest point on record, with 27,327 tonnes being put in to the site.
Meanwhile, as reclamation at Longue Hougue wound down, input of inert waste onto that site declined with just 53,700 tonnes added, compared to 136,000 in 2013. Estimations guess there is a remaining three years until it is filled entirely based on the current averages, but there may be an additional year as construction waste continues to decline.
The highlight statistics from the report showed information about household waste. The way Guernsey deals with that element of its rubbish has been totally overhauled this year, with far more emphasis on recycling, but it is clear from these new stats that trends were already moving that way.
Household ‘black bag’ waste was down by more than 250 tonnes compared with 2016, to 11,050 tonnes. This downward trend has now been seen for the past four years, and the next big reduction will come through the new scheme. A spokesperson for trading assets said there should be real change shown in the same report for this year.
"The addition of food waste and glass recycling collections will offer households opportunities to segregate more recyclables from their waste. 'Pay as you throw' charging from February 2019 will provide further incentives."
2017 saw a very significant increase in green waste - which was up by more than 1,000 tonnes compare with 2016. Such tonnages are not unprecedented, with similar amounts of green waste collected in 2011 and 2012. Green waste tonnages are always affected by climate and seasonal variations, and impact the overall recycling rate each year.
Finally, there was another increase in waste collected from litter bins, up by approximately 75 tonnes (+14%) compared to 2016.
Commercial recycling was, like other aspects, up by 10%. While the tonnages of waste not recycled rose by 4%, the amount landfilled continued a downward trend and were 6.2% lower than 2016.
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