North Devon aims to climb recycling league

Region is bottom of the table

North Devon Council could consider three-weekly black bin collections as well as other measures to improve its recycling performance.

It is not happy being third-from-bottom in the table of Devon local authority recycling rates.

Currently the council recycles 46 per cent of its waste, East Devon tops the chart with 60 per cent.

The top-ranking council has black bin collections every three weeks and does not collect side waste placed at the side of black bins.

Leader of North Devon Council David Clayton (Lib Dem, Barnstaple with Westacott) said customer complaints over recycling and missed bin collections have been virtually wiped out in North Devon and they must now focus on improving the recycling rate.

The council’s strategy and resources committee has decided to set up a working group to do just that.

In 2027 councils will have a legal duty to collect soft plastics, including bread bags, crisps packets, plastic film on yoghurt pots and biscuit wrappers.

But research by North Devon shows all top-performing authorities are stricter on side waste, have three or four-weekly black bin collections and full-time recycling advisors.

North Devon used to have five recycling advisors whose job was to encourage people to recycle and could look at reintroducing them.

Cllr Pru Maskell (Con, Braunton and Georgeham) said the council needed to get tough on holiday businesses which don’t recycle.

Cllr Robin Milton (Ind, Bishops Nympton) said some people had a number of black bins and questioned whether they are all necessary.

The council’s head of environmental enhancement Mark Kentell said they needed to be “on their game” to get the public on board with any new schemes.

“We have got the rounds really efficient so as long as we provide a really good service to the public and then the public will be on board.

“If the wheels come off the rounds people will want to criticise us.”