Polystyrene bring bank set to go
ABUSE of the polystyrene recycling bin at Rohais Waitrose has resulted in the decision to remove it.
The move will save £10,000 a year in collection charges.
The decision follows persistent misuse of the site, with material being left on the ground and ending up around the site and in nearby streams.
Guernsey Waste operations manager Sarah Robinson said the removal of the bin would have a minimal impact, since large pieces of polystyrene tended not to be an everyday item.
‘Large polystyrene packaging mostly comes with items such as electrical appliances or furniture, which by their nature are only occasional purchases,’ she said.
‘It can still be dropped off at the household waste and recycling centre at Longue Hougue, or it can be disposed of in household general waste as part of the parish waste collections.’
The removal of the bin follows the ending of polystyrene recycling in May 2019. Prior to that Guernsey Waste paid around £3,000 per tonne to process the lightweight, bulky material.
That was justified because it saved valuable space in landfill at Mont Cuet, however that site no longer receives general waste.
Polystyrene is now included in the mixed waste materials sent for energy recovery.
Miss Robinson said the nature of polystyrene, which is 99% air, meant it was not ideal for bring bank sites.
Bins tended to fill more quickly than for other materials and it is believed this has been exacerbated at the Rohais site due to misuse by businesses.
However it was still unacceptable for material to simply be left around the site.
‘The bins are emptied as regularly as possible, and we have signs at all sites asking users not to leave any material outside the bins, as it is deemed fly-tipping which is a criminal offence,’ Miss Robinson said.
‘Although most people are responsible, we have a persistent problem with polystyrene. It is such a lightweight material, if it is left outside of the bin you can guarantee it is going to blow around the site. But that is precisely what is happening.’
She said there was limited space at the bring bank sites, so offering more capacity for a material that was not recycled was not an option.
‘At the same time, we have a responsibility to the owners of these sites to keep them tidy and clear, as best we can,’ she said. ‘We also have to avoid polystyrene, which is a form of plastic, escaping into the environment, which is exactly what happens when simply left lying around. That is why we have decided to remove the facility now.’
For most common household recyclables, nearly two thirds of material is now collected through kerbside recycling.
. The HWRC is open 10am-4pm Friday to Wednesday.
