Personally, I’m sad to lose the bring banks – STSB president
THE three remaining recycling bring bank sites will close in two weeks’ time to save money – much to the disappointment of the president of the States committee responsible for waste.
Peter Roffey said he would have to become a reluctant convert to kerbside recycling when his committee – the States’ Trading Supervisory Board – shuts bring banks at Salerie Corner, Waitrose Rohais and the Longfrie Inn at the end of the month.
‘Personally, I am incredibly sad to see the bring banks go as I have always used them for all my recycling,’ said Deputy Roffey.
‘What tipped the balance for me was the States’ decision last year to partially fund the cost of household waste from general revenue rather than relying solely on user charges.
‘This means the £100,000 we spend each year on providing the bring banks is £100,000 that can’t be spent on essential services.
‘The STSB could not justify that when there is an alternative way for households to dispose of their recyclable waste via kerbside collections, which is free to use.
‘I am sorry for those, like me, who are going to have to adapt, but Guernsey’s financial situation simply does not permit spending on duplicated collection systems.’
The board said use of bring banks had fallen to an all-time low.
Local households recycled 1,296 tonnes of plastics, tins and cartons in 2022, of which only 68 tonnes were collected through bring banks.
Kerbside recycling was introduced in 2014. Between then and 2019, there was a decline of two-thirds in the amount of paper, tins, cans, plastics and cartons collected through bring banks.
‘Ten years ago we were reliant on bring banks for our household recycling,’ said Guernsey Waste’s operations manager Sarah Robinson.
‘Since then the amount being recycled has increased significantly, but the proportion collected via bring banks has consistently fallen. That is a result of the popularity of kerbside collections, which the vast majority of households prefer.
‘Post-Covid, the amount we collect through bring banks has fallen to such an extent we can no longer justify the cost of these facilities when other alternatives are readily available.’
STSB also believed some of the material still being collected through bring banks is from businesses despite the sites being intended only for household use and funded through household waste charges.
An independent survey of more than 1,800 islanders, published last year, found that 8% of households relied solely on bring banks to recycle all their bottles and jars, whereas two-thirds used kerbside collection only.
About 3.1 tonnes of paper and card was recycled in 2022, and nearly a quarter of that was collected through bring banks.
Charity bins operated by a private contractor are expected to remain in place.
Facilities for dropping off glass and bulky cardboard are available at the household waste and recycling centre at Longue Hougue, along with bins for clear and blue kerbside bags.
