The £85 per household fixed charge is for the whole of 2019. Together with the £2.50 per bag charge, it will recover the costs incurred by the States for sorting, processing, exporting and treating household waste and recycling.

Paid waste collection started earlier this month in St Peter Port. 

Actual waste and recycling collections are arranged by the parishes, who will pass on those costs separately as part of their annual rates bill. Those will be sent out later in the year, and are the third and final dimension of what people need to pay for waste.

Overall, the new waste charges are expected to cost households on average the equivalent of around £6.00 per week this year. That covers all waste and recycling collections, and the subsequent processing and export of materials for recycling, recovery or disposal.

Bills for the £85 States annual charge are addressed to the registered owner of the property on 1 January 2019. Islanders in social housing or private rental accommodation will therefore not receive one directly, but may have the charge passed on to them by their landlord or property management agent. That could be as a one off bill, or as part of their rent or management fee.

The new charging system aims to encourage islanders to reduce the amount of rubbish they produce and recycle more.

The Waste Centre at the Longue Hougue went into operation toward the end of last year, after being built for some years. 

Guernsey Waste Operations Manager, Sarah Robinson, said the States’ £85 charge would only cover some of the processing and treatment costs, not the collection element.

“Waste charges will only pay for managing the waste that we produce. The fixed charge element means every household contributes to the services and facilities we all use, and the pay as you throw bag charge means those producing the most waste also pay the most.”

Previously, households received an annual bill from their parish to pay for the cost of collecting and disposing of their waste. This was calculated using the Tax on Real Property value of their home, and was therefore based on the size of their property.

Parish rates last year included costs incurred for treatment and disposal only up until the end of 2018. From the 1st January 2019, those will be covered by the new States charges, and parishes will only pass on their collection costs.

Miss Robinson said although the States’ annual fixed charge was new, the bill will probably not come as a surprise to most households.

Leaflets were sent to every household on the island explaining the new system. 

“We sent leaflets to every household in late 2018 and again last month, explaining the new charges and when they would come in. It mentioned the bills for the new £85 fixed charge would be sent out this month, so we think most people will have been expecting this.

“It also explained the collection costs would be covered as an entirely separate bill, from the parish, later in the year.”

More than 2,000 households have signed up to pay by direct debit. Anyone who did not opt in in time for the 2019 bill can register for next year by going to gov.gg/wastebill.

Anyone who is unable to settle the bill in full can arrange to pay in instalments.

Miss Robinson said: “The fixed charge is due to be paid within 30 days of the date the bill is issued. However if anyone is going to find it difficult to pay in full by then, all we ask is they get in contact. We can then agree a payment plan.”