Scottish Government

12 Summary Discussion

This project was the first major trial of multi-occupancy recycling in Scotland and all the Local Authorities should be commended for the efforts in establishing each of the schemes.

Below is a set of observations and recommendations on performance and rollout costs for each pilot scheme. This is included as guidance for rollout of the schemes in the future by the local authorities involved in the project and others who may be interested in implementing such schemes.

This is followed by a comparison of all the pilot schemes to identify trends, commonalities, and recommendations for going forward.

12.1 Aberdeen

• In comparison to the other pilot schemes, the amount of recyclate recovered was low. The Aberdeen scheme is similar to Edinburgh's, yet the diversion rate is almost half that of Edinburgh's. In terms socio-demographics the two City's pilot scheme areas were similar (predominantly ACORN Type 17).
• The projected rollout cost per tonne for Aberdeen is thus high. However, the total cost per household is similar to that of Edinburgh's scheme. The poor cost performance of the scheme is related to poor participation levels rather than high cost levels. It is worth noting that the participation, at 50%, was the lowest of all the schemes.
• The recyclate volume provision, at 27 litres/hh/wk, was at least half that utilised by other schemes. However, as participation in the scheme was low, this capacity was not tested. For scheme rollout, an increase to 67 litres/hh/wk has been put forward; this is more in-line with that proposed by other schemes.
• The communication strategy should be reviewed before rollout to improve engagement with householders. SWAG survey results indicated that the scheme only resulted in a very small increase in the number of people recycling. The number of respondents who said they used the pilot scheme was only a 7% increase on those who said they used recycling points prior to the scheme being introduced.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for Aberdeen showed evidence of Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection but little evidence of Behaviour Change or Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection.

12.2 Dundee

• The pilot scheme was only delivered to a small number of households and therefore some caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions about performance upon rollout.
• The SWAG surveys indicate that participation was reasonable (61%). However, the only materials collected in significant quantities were paper and cardboard. This was despite additional door-to-door visits carried out by Dundee Council to supplement the SWAG campaign. It is recommended that consideration should be given to rollout of paper and card only.
• SWAG survey results indicated that the scheme resulted in a significant increase in the number of people participating in recycling. The number of respondents who said they used the pilot scheme was an 87% increase on those who said they used recycling points prior to the scheme being introduced.
• Despite lack of participation in recycling a range of materials, the cost per tonne on rollout of the scheme is the lowest of all the pilot schemes.
• The scale of the proposed rollout is small in comparison to other schemes (2020 properties) and, as the scheme is compatible with Dundee's existing recycling collection system, its CAPEX and OPEX costs are minimal.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for Dundee showed evidence of Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection but little evidence of Behaviour Change or Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection.

12.3 City of Edinburgh Council

• In relation to the other schemes, this scheme was considered successful overall in all measures of performance. In terms of projected rollout costs, the scheme has proved to be one of the most cost effective recycling systems.
• The SWAG survey indicates good levels of participation (68%). However, the survey did indicate that there are improvements to be made in the participation of certain target recyclates such as drinks cartons (tetrapacks).
• The rollout costs do not include the costs associated with the modification of the residual waste collection system. The replacement of residual Taylor bins with OMB bins would increase the overall cost per tonne to £190. In some instances it was possible to site the recyclate bins on pavement areas.
• If the scheme is to rolled out the Council should consider whether a change of residual bin is required in all of the areas currently served by Taylor bins. It should be noted that OMB bins already serve a number of residual collection routes in the City and therefore a net loss of parking spaces may be unavoidable.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for Edinburgh showed evidence of Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection but little evidence of Behaviour Change or Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection. However, data from the bring sites in pilot area shows the amount of recyclate being collected at the recycling points has not changed.

12.4 Falkirk

• In terms of projected tonnage of recyclate, the rollout scheme compares favourably with other schemes. The SWAG survey indicates that householders participated in recycling a broader range of materials than other schemes. It should be noted that feedback from SWAG indicates that a number of the respondents interviewed mid-pilot had not actually received that service at the point. Therefore, the actually participation in the service is likely to be higher than reported.
• SWAG survey results indicated that the scheme resulted in a significant increase in the number of people to recycling. The number of respondents who said they used the pilot scheme was a 70% increase on those who said they used recycling points prior to the scheme being introduced.
• At £433 per tonne, the scheme is considerably more expensive than other schemes, and is 85% more expensive than the other doorstep system in West Dunbartonshire. To improve scheme cost effectiveness, consideration should be given to fortnightly collection and increasing operational efficiencies. Based on costings provided by Falkirk Council it has been calculated that a commingled doorstep collection would cost £356 / tonne.
• At 72 litres, the recyclate bin capacity provided is at the upper end of the scale. However, in comparison to West Dunbartonshire, the scheme did collect cardboard.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for Falkirk showed evidence of Behaviour Change and Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection and little evidence for Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection.

12.5 Glasgow

• The Glasgow scheme had the highest projected diversion rate at almost 100 kg/hh/yr. Participation was high at 84%. At £195 per tonne (rollout cost) the scheme is one of the more cost effective schemes.
• Glasgow was the only co-mingled collection that received income from the recyclate collected. It should be noted that the savings from landfill gate fees in Glasgow are effectively zero as they operate their own landfill site.
• SWAG survey results indicated that the scheme resulted in a significant increase in the number of people to recycling. The number of respondents who said they used the pilot scheme was an 84% increase on those who said they used recycling points prior to the scheme being introduced.
• A total of 35% of respondents to the SWAG survey said they would like to be able to recycle more materials. Glasgow was one of two schemes that did not collect cardboard. However, bin capacity may become an issue if more materials were collected. A disadvantage of the scheme is that it would be unworkable to increase the size of the recycling bins due to the fact that at many tenements the operatives have to pull the bins through the ground floor close of the tenement. An increase in either the number of bins or frequency of collection would obviously significantly increase costs.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for Glasgow showed evidence of Behaviour Change and Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection and little evidence for Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for the Glasgow SBI scheme showed evidence of Behaviour Change, little evidence for Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection, but also little evidence for Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection.

12.6 South Lanarkshire

• The South Lanarkshire scheme was the most mature scheme, having already been in operation for a year. In addition, the Council put in substantial effort into direct communication with householders.
• The scheme had a relatively high tonnage of material per household per week and the SWAG survey indicated a high participation rate (90%) amongst householders.
• The rollout cost per tonne, at £144, compares favourably with the other schemes. It should be noted that an alternate weekly collection was operated and there will also be cost savings arising from the reduced residual collections.
• The recyclate volume provision, 120 litres/hh/wk, was substantially greater than that used by other schemes. However, as an alternate weekly collection is operated it is likely that this volume is required to provide the required level of service.
• Because the South Lanarkshire scheme was pre-existing, the Detailed Waste Analysis could make no assessment about Behaviour Change or Recyclate Modal Shift. Nevertheless there was evidence for Scheme Efficiency.

12.7 West Dunbartonshire

• The SWAG survey indicates that awareness of recycling prior to the pilot scheme being introduced was low; only 25% of respondents utilising recycling points pre-pilot. In addition, the area experiences difficult social and economic conditions.
• The projected diversion rate for the scheme was the lowest of all the schemes with the exception of Aberdeen. The inclusion of cardboard in the materials collected would likely increase this diversion rate. The scheme recovers about 20% less than the other doorstep schemes. The SWAG survey indicated that residents recycled a wide range of materials in the pilot scheme.
• SWAG survey results indicated that the scheme resulted in a significant increase in the number of people to recycling. The number of respondents who said they used the pilot scheme was a 160% increase on those who said they used recycling points prior to the scheme being introduced.
• Participation in the pilot scheme (66%) is comparable to the other pilot schemes. This indicates that future waste aware campaigns should focus on capturing more of the householders' recyclate as opposed to overall participation.
• The cost per tonne was typically 20% greater than the other types of collection employed, however it was much lower than the other doorstep collection system.
• Before rollout it is recommended that the option of implementing a backcourt recycling system is considered.
• The Detailed Waste Analysis for West Dunbartonshire showed evidence of Behaviour Change and Scheme Efficiency in recyclate collection and little evidence for Recyclate Modal Shift from other forms of recyclate collection.

12.8 Comparison of the schemes

A summary of the performance of all seven pilot schemes is provided in Table 12-1.

Table 12-2 shows summarises projected performance if each scheme is rolled out on a large scale. These are based on 2006/07 prices.

Figure 12-1 shows a comparison between projected diversion rate and scheme participation. As would be expected, the schemes with the highest projected diversion rates also had the highest levels of participation. The two backcourt recycling schemes, Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, have the highest projected diversion rates. The next highest projected diversion rate is Falkirk Council's doorstep uplift.

Aberdeen, Dundee City, and City of Edinburgh all utilised a similar mode of collection; communal on-street or near-entrance bins. However, as already noted, Aberdeen is well below the other two schemes in terms of diversion rate. The projected diversion rates, with the exception of Aberdeen, are all greater than those recorded for other multi-occupancy schemes based in England (range 40 - 67 kg/hh/yr, see Section 1.4). The UK average diversion rate for dry recyclate collections is 122 kg/hh/yr ( WRAP, 2006).

Figure 12-1 Comparison of projected diversion rate and scheme participation

The percentage recycling rate has been estimated using waste analysis data (Section 11.6.4). As would be expected, the schemes with the greatest percentage are also those schemes with the highest project diversion rates. Two scheme, Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, have an estimated recycling rate greater than 20%.

Figure 12-2 shows the contribution of OPEX and CAPEX costs to the total cost per household for scheme rollout Figure 12-3 shows the contribution of OPEX and CAPEX costs to the total cost per tonne.

Table 12-1 Summary of pilot scheme performance

Table 12-2 Summary of projected performance for scheme rollout (2006/07)

1 Waste produced per household was estimated for each local authority by dividing the total amount of waste landfill or recycled by households by the total number of households.

Figure 12-2 Projected OPEX and CAPEX rollout costs per household

Figure 12-3 Projected OPEX and CAPEX rollout costs per tonne

Table 12-3 shows the range of rollout scheme costs for the three types of recycling scheme.

Table 12-3 Range of rollout costs by type of scheme

Falkirk Council's scheme has the highest cost (£433). The cost per household is high due the use of a weekly collection and a kerbside sort. Projected operational costs per household are double that of West Dunbartonshire. However, the Falkirk scheme is projected to capture almost 25% more recyclate. A switch to commingled collection would reduce Falkirk's costs to £356/tonne.

In terms of total cost per tonne of recyclate, Aberdeen is predicted to be the next most expensive if the schemes are rolled out. However, this is a reflection of the poor performance of the pilot scheme rather than excessive costs. This is borne out by the fact that the total Aberdeen's total cost per household is similar to that of Edinburgh.

The Dundee City scheme is the lowest cost at £118 tonnes. Even at rollout, the number of households involved would be only 2,020 and the scheme can be easily subsumed into Dundee's collection system for its recycling points. As a result, the additional costs are low, especially those for sorting/treatment of recyclates. The cost of the scheme is similar to that expected for recycling points.

Projected rollout costs for Scotland's two largest cities - Glasgow and Edinburgh - are similar (< £200/tonne), especially if the need for a change in OMB system is taken into account in Edinburgh. Considering the contrasting residual waste collection systems already place in the two cities, these are considered to be the best schemes for each city. There would be significant costs and likely widespread opposition to the introduction of differing collection systems. For example, the change from a backcourt to containerised on-street system.

In comparison to other schemes, the South Lanarkshire scheme is projected to result in a reasonably low cost of £144/tonne. The projected rollout area has a mix of multi-occupancy properties and houses and there would be difficulties in rolling out an alternative scheme in this area.

12.9 Increased scheme performance

Figure 12-4 shows the total cost per tonne of recyclate material with increased scheme performance. This is based on four different diversion rates as follows:

1. National Average - 122 kg/hh/yr: The mid quartile for dry recyclable diversion rate as given by WRAP's Online Recycling Information System. This average is for recycling points and kerbside collections.
2. Falkirk high-rise - 103 kg/hh/yr: The average diversion rate achieved by a doorstep collection scheme delivered to 1084 high-rise households in Falkirk for 12 months in 2004/05. Action Recycle was contracted by Falkirk Council to deliver this scheme.
3. A nominal 20% increase in the projected diversion rate for each scheme.
4. The actual projected diversion rate is provided for comparison.

These costs are based on the assumption that the additional recyclate could be accommodated in the same infrastructure as utilised in the pilot scheme. The cost variations arise from changes in treatment costs and additional savings from landfill gate fees.

Figure 12-4 Projected rollout costs with increased scheme performance

If the City of Edinburgh's scheme could achieve a 20% increase in recycling then its total cost would be reduced from £167/tonne to £140/tonne.

If the on-street collection systems could achieve a 20% increase in recycling then total costs per tonne would come to £140 (for Edinburgh). This is more in-line with what a kerbside scheme would cost. To meet the national average (122 kg/hh/yr) would require a 70% increase in diversion rate for these schemes.

If the two doorstep schemes, Falkirk and West Dunbartonshire, could achieve the same diversion rate as the ongoing Falkirk high-rise scheme, costs per tonne would come down to £152 and £340 respectively

The two backcourt recycling schemes are already achieving almost 100 kg/hh/yr. The cost per tonne resulting from either a 20% increase or an increase to 121 kg/hh/yr would be similar.

12.10 Comparison against recycling points

In all of the pilot areas recycling points and centres were the principal service provision prior to introduction of the schemes. A key question at the beginning of the study was whether the pilot schemes were more cost effective (in terms of cost/tonne of recyclate) than existing recycling points and centres.

As the pilot schemes were delivered to relatively small numbers of households, in practical terms it was difficult to asses any patterns in the amount of material collected at recycling points close/adjacent to the pilot areas.

From the SWAG survey the following points regarding the use of recycling points before and after the scheme can be made:

• In all the local authorities where a new pilot scheme was introduced the number of people recycling increased. The number of respondents to the surveys who said they used the pilot scheme was between a 50% and 160% increase on the number using recycling points prior to the introduction of the scheme ⁵.
• In all areas the percentage number of respondents using recycling points dropped after introduction of the pilot schemes. In Edinburgh, Falkirk, and Glasgow the number of people using the recycling points to recycle the material targeted by the scheme also dropped significantly.