At a meeting I attended recently a question came up….
Why Whittlesey (Fenland) are not promoting or installing multi-purpose recycling bins, i.e., general waste, cans, bottles, and plastics, in order that these items are separated before going off to be processed.
I said as I always do…..try and find out the answer !!!!!!
Head of Environmental Services @ Fenland District Council Mark Mathews.
Good to hear from you. Yes, the Council has reviewed this decision on a regular basis since 2015 when it became a legal duty to do so.
There is a process involved in the decision methodology, which is complex, please see the linked reports below for the details.
The bottom line is the Council had to perform an evaluation called a TEEP assessment, which is a formal evaluation used to decide if collecting recyclable materials separately is Technically, Environmentally, and Economically Practicable (TEEP).
The original determination was made by Cabinet in 2015 and can be found here FENLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL. The TEEP assessment is then reviewed each time changes are made to the collection system.
The most recent occasion was when Council agreed to change the waste collection system to include food waste collections in February 2025 Report and appendices.pdf.
The element of the report that refers to this is the TEEP assessment at Appendix 2
(and 3).
You are correct, one of the reasons is the cost, but the assessment process is more involved that just looking at the costs. The fact that the current system already works well is an important element within the considerations along with the overall environmental impact.
Happy to answer any questions you might have.
Regards….Mark
RG Note : We do indeed have a few of these multi-waste bins around but as said above one factor is cost of the units and the extra time and resource in emptying them – hopefully one day….
This one below (indicative) is around £700:00 (each)
