Waste Strategy - challenges and opportunities

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Recycling rates and costs of processing non-recycled household waste

  • Over the past 10 years, Cheshire West and Chester residents have made significant improvements in rates of recycling. In 2019-20 our overall recycling rate was just over 56 per cent - this is a vast improvement on a rate of 48 per cent in 2010-11


  • However, we still have a long way to go, with the Council required to pay to process the remaining 44 per cent (69,000 tonnes) of waste. This processing also has an environmental impact. If we do not reduce our waste and increase recycling, the Council will face annual rising costs and we will not be in a position to address our climate emergency.


  • Material Income – Material collected for recycling is sold and the money received helps to reduce the overall cost of running the service. There have been significant impacts upon material income in the past 10 years due to a global slowdown in the value of recyclable materials. This means that there is decreasing funding available to be reinvested into our waste services.

What’s in your black bin

The kerbside collection service collects all of our recyclable waste from every home in west

Cheshire every week. A recent report has shown that 74% of the waste collected in the black bins around west Cheshire could have been recycled.

Only a small number of items should be put in your black bin. Everything else can be recycled or taken to your Household Waste Recycling Centre.

What are people most likely to put in their black bins

Could be recycled

27.4% Food and garden waste

14.1% Plastics

13.2% Paper

7.4% Textiles and shoes

4.2% Card

4.0% Glass

2.7% Metals

1.1% Electrical items

Total: 74.1%

Not recycled

16.3% Miscellaneous

9.2% Fines (small pieces of waste) and other waste

0.4% Hazardous

Total:25.9%

By making small changes west Cheshire black bin waste could be reduced by 74% and a 60% recycling rate could be achieved.


Our Collection Service

  • Since the last review of the collection service in 2012 there has been an increase of approximately 13,000 households in Cheshire West and Chester. This number continues to grow annually. There is a need to review our collection routes to ensure the best use of vehicles, staff resources and fuel consumption.


  • 45 per cent of residents have told us in a recent survey that their black bin was full on collection day, with 20 per cent confirming their bin was only half full after two weeks. This highlights the need to review our household waste collection service to ensure it is as efficient as possible, meeting the needs of our residents and minimising the impact on our environment, particularly around carbon emissions from our vehicles. We also have ageing waste collection vehicles, with many of them reaching the end of their useful life and becoming inefficient.

Food Waste

  • Globally, food production is responsible for 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, an estimated one third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. The *Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has calculated that on average, the equivalent of four tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided for every tonne of food waste prevented.


  • Cheshire West and Chester Council has ensured that the kerbside food recycling service is as easy as possible. Residents can use any type of plastic bag, newspaper or liner to recycle their food waste.


  • It is important that we continue to work together to be smart about planning and buying food and to recycle leftover food rather than putting it in the black bin with non-recyclable waste.


* WRAP works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency.

Garden Waste Collections

  • Due to increased financial pressures, the Council must make some tough decisions. The Council is considering various options including charging for collecting garden waste.


  • Other local authorities already do this, and it gives people the choice whether to use it or not. This way, only those that wish to use the service would pay for it. Currently, all households in Cheshire West contribute to this service via their council tax, even if they don’t have a garden.


  • The council’s recycling centres would still be available for residents to recycle their garden waste free of charge.

Our Recycling Centre Arrangement

  • Our recycling centre contract with HW Martin will end in 2023. Before this a review will need to be undertaken to determine the most appropriate long-term arrangement for this service.


National Waste Management Plans and Policies

  • The Council must ensure that all waste collection and management services are aligned to national policies, plans and strategies. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has just consulted on a new Waste Management Plan for England. Although the consultation findings are not yet published this plan will set out ambitious targets to ensure we are the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.


  • The National Resources and Waste Strategy was published by the Government in 2018 and sets out measures to help to achieve this ambition including to;
  1. Work towards all plastic packaging placed on the market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
  2. Work towards eliminating food waste to landfill by 2030.
  3. Eliminate avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan.
  4. Double resource productivity by 2050.
  5. Eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050.

Recycling rates and costs of processing non-recycled household waste

  • Over the past 10 years, Cheshire West and Chester residents have made significant improvements in rates of recycling. In 2019-20 our overall recycling rate was just over 56 per cent - this is a vast improvement on a rate of 48 per cent in 2010-11


  • However, we still have a long way to go, with the Council required to pay to process the remaining 44 per cent (69,000 tonnes) of waste. This processing also has an environmental impact. If we do not reduce our waste and increase recycling, the Council will face annual rising costs and we will not be in a position to address our climate emergency.


  • Material Income – Material collected for recycling is sold and the money received helps to reduce the overall cost of running the service. There have been significant impacts upon material income in the past 10 years due to a global slowdown in the value of recyclable materials. This means that there is decreasing funding available to be reinvested into our waste services.

What’s in your black bin

The kerbside collection service collects all of our recyclable waste from every home in west

Cheshire every week. A recent report has shown that 74% of the waste collected in the black bins around west Cheshire could have been recycled.

Only a small number of items should be put in your black bin. Everything else can be recycled or taken to your Household Waste Recycling Centre.

What are people most likely to put in their black bins

Could be recycled

27.4% Food and garden waste

14.1% Plastics

13.2% Paper

7.4% Textiles and shoes

4.2% Card

4.0% Glass

2.7% Metals

1.1% Electrical items

Total: 74.1%

Not recycled

16.3% Miscellaneous

9.2% Fines (small pieces of waste) and other waste

0.4% Hazardous

Total:25.9%

By making small changes west Cheshire black bin waste could be reduced by 74% and a 60% recycling rate could be achieved.


Our Collection Service

  • Since the last review of the collection service in 2012 there has been an increase of approximately 13,000 households in Cheshire West and Chester. This number continues to grow annually. There is a need to review our collection routes to ensure the best use of vehicles, staff resources and fuel consumption.


  • 45 per cent of residents have told us in a recent survey that their black bin was full on collection day, with 20 per cent confirming their bin was only half full after two weeks. This highlights the need to review our household waste collection service to ensure it is as efficient as possible, meeting the needs of our residents and minimising the impact on our environment, particularly around carbon emissions from our vehicles. We also have ageing waste collection vehicles, with many of them reaching the end of their useful life and becoming inefficient.

Food Waste

  • Globally, food production is responsible for 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, an estimated one third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. The *Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has calculated that on average, the equivalent of four tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions are avoided for every tonne of food waste prevented.


  • Cheshire West and Chester Council has ensured that the kerbside food recycling service is as easy as possible. Residents can use any type of plastic bag, newspaper or liner to recycle their food waste.


  • It is important that we continue to work together to be smart about planning and buying food and to recycle leftover food rather than putting it in the black bin with non-recyclable waste.


* WRAP works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency.

Garden Waste Collections

  • Due to increased financial pressures, the Council must make some tough decisions. The Council is considering various options including charging for collecting garden waste.


  • Other local authorities already do this, and it gives people the choice whether to use it or not. This way, only those that wish to use the service would pay for it. Currently, all households in Cheshire West contribute to this service via their council tax, even if they don’t have a garden.


  • The council’s recycling centres would still be available for residents to recycle their garden waste free of charge.

Our Recycling Centre Arrangement

  • Our recycling centre contract with HW Martin will end in 2023. Before this a review will need to be undertaken to determine the most appropriate long-term arrangement for this service.


National Waste Management Plans and Policies

  • The Council must ensure that all waste collection and management services are aligned to national policies, plans and strategies. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has just consulted on a new Waste Management Plan for England. Although the consultation findings are not yet published this plan will set out ambitious targets to ensure we are the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.


  • The National Resources and Waste Strategy was published by the Government in 2018 and sets out measures to help to achieve this ambition including to;
  1. Work towards all plastic packaging placed on the market being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
  2. Work towards eliminating food waste to landfill by 2030.
  3. Eliminate avoidable plastic waste over the lifetime of the 25 Year Environment Plan.
  4. Double resource productivity by 2050.
  5. Eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050.