Clear and blue recycling bags could cost 25p each

Household waste and recycling services are costing about £1m. a year less than was expected before changes were made to collections and charges in 2018, and the operational deficit is expected to continue to rise to as much as £1.8m. a year.

The recycling bag charge would defray some of these costs, which otherwise are going to have to be paid for by the taxpayer.

The cost of recycling would remain lower than general waste and would only apply to blue and clear bags. There would be no separate charge for glass or food waste.

‘It is important the cost stays far lower than waste, we want to maintain a big difference in that to encourage people to recycle,’ said States’ Trading and Supervisory Board president Peter Roffey.

Orange and green bin black bag stickers generated income of £1.649m. between 2019 and 2021, while a further £304,000 was collected from household waste delivered directly to the recycling centre.

Guernsey Waste is expected to see a cumulative deficit of £2.97m. by the end of this year, which STSB is proposing be written off and covered by general revenue.

The shortfall has mainly come from fewer bags of waste being produced than was anticipated when charging was introduced, meaning the money received from pay-as-you throw stickers has been £2m. a year less than predicted. That equates to a cost of £3 per household a week, consisting of the annual charge and stickers, while the predicted cost was £4.25 per week.

‘At the outset, there was an expectation that the combination of the sticker charge and the annual charge would raise enough for the system to be self-funding,’ said Deputy Roffey.

‘However the strategy has already been so successful, and islanders have embraced the new arrangements to such an extent, that has not been the case so far and we do not foresee it becoming self-funding in the foreseeable future.’

It has not yet been decided how the bags would be paid for by islanders.

‘The stickers will continue and there will be bespoke bags for recycling, but how they will be distributed will be decided later on,’ he said.

Higher central funding would be required if States members choose not to increase the current charges.

The policy letter was published amid attempts by Deputy Gavin St Pier to block the proposed increase in charges for household waste, due from Friday, which Deputy Roffey said was unrelated to these proposals.

The policy letter said the proposals were not a negative reflection on the way parishes have organised their affairs or service their contractors provide.

‘It should be acknowledged that throughout the Covid disruption, all household waste collections continued without interruption. Nevertheless, these services involve significant contracts, which in 2022 amounts to £2.4m. This cost is passed on to islanders, and it is therefore incumbent on all parties to demonstrate value for money and ensure services are being delivered in the most cost-effective manner.’