Waste Management StrategyResearch Top Liners

Support ServicesNovember 2010

www.crawley.gov.uk

Two Phased Research

1 Stakeholders Lots of positives, fly tipping, procedures, improved working with

contractor, range of door step recycling. However, Contamination Recycling rates Messages to residents could be better So………….

2 Resident Research to investigate Recycling rates Items to recycle Barriers to recycling Collection days and times Containers GREENBin service Getting the message out

www.crawley.gov.uk

5,000 Households Summer 2010

5,020 questionnaires, randomly 1,510 returned = 30% All neighbourhoods represented Highest Furnace Green; nearly 1 in 4 (39.6%); lowest

Broadfield; just over 1 in 5 (21.8%) Most lived in houses 11% lived in flat

1 in 5 of Northgate & Southgate respondents lived flats 18% Bewbush respondents lived flats

Over representation older people 35% aged 40-59 yrs 29% aged 60-79 yrs

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Recycling Habits

Lots of Recycling going on! As well as REDtop bins

Only 0.7% not recycling! Almost all do it as matter of course Some very positive comments about Council’s REDtop

recycling – one bin Neighbourhood Recycling Centres still used; 7 in 10 do not

want them removed– “…I wouldn’t be able to recycle all my stuff without it”. – “because there are certain items which cannot be recycled at

home and these items would end up as landfill”– “it is useful if I am away for door collections and miss the

fortnightly collection”– “it encourages people to recycle”

Metcalf Way – more periodic use; only 15% do not use

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Barriers to Recycling

Unsure of what can be recycled Especially plastics; yogurt pots; plastic food containers

Lack of storage space Wrong sort of information

Only 7% say they have never receive information Issue is “type” of information

What to recycle (the detail) “don’t understand why we can’t give you all these damned food

packaging. Like the ready meal things. They look the same as plastic milk and coke bottles, but these get thrown. They are a large part of our waste; it seems shameful”

Bank holidays and changes to collections How to recycle other goods not put in REDtop and where to go

Not understanding what happens to recycled goods “Council takes all the rubbish and recycling to same landfill site, so what’s the

point”

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Encouraging Recycling

3 in 10 thought better information

3 in 10 thought incentive schemes - particularly Broadfield & West Green

Compulsory recycling supported more in Langley Green – 36%

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Encouraging recycling

29%

26%2%

30%

13%

Incentive schemeCompulsory recyclingLimiting amount of refuse collectedBetter informationNo reply

Neighbourhood Recycling Centres

One quarter never use them But… one third use them as least monthly 7 in 10 not in favour of removal West Green respondents least likely to use them

but most likely to want to keep them! 76% don’t want them removed

Reasons to retainRemoval would encourage fly tippingActs as overspill for collection serviceOffers alternatives for recycling

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Items to take to Neighbourhood Recycling Centres

Over half – small electrical goodsEspecially Broadfield – 7 in 10;

Bewbush and West Green – 6 in 10BatteriesContinue textiles and clothingCD’s, DVD’s, videos etc more popular

Pound Hill, Three Bridges, Furnace Green

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Metcalf Way

Only 15% don’t use it; cf almost quarter who do not use Neighbourhood Recycling Centres

Similar usage patterns to Neighbourhood Recycling Centres – one third use it at least monthly

Well used for green waste

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GREENBin Service

8 in 10 did not use service Rises to 9 in 10 for Bewbush

Varied reasons for not using the ServiceMetcalf Way used insteadComposting at homeCost as issue

Approx 1 in 5 would use periodic collection service; cost important factor

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What to recycle?

Quite good levels of understanding generally, but…….

Confusion over plastics in particular; 1 in 5 think they can recycle…….Yogurt potsPlastic food containersMargarine tubsCling filmsPlastic bags

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Which items can I recycle?

Plastics and Polystyrene stand out……

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164

336

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

Total responses

Plastic Bottles

Glass

Card milk/juice cartons

Junk Mail, scrap paper

New spapers/mags

Envelopes

Directories, brochures

Cans

Cardboard/cards

Nappies

Polystyrene

Food w aste

General rubbish

Plastic packs, yog pots

Green garden w aste

No reply

Which items can be recycled?

Written Information

Only 7% received No information Half receive & keep – most likely in Pound Hill &

Furnace Green Third receive but don’t keep Design & clarity of information well regarded “Sufficiency” of information dips slightly;

confirming other findings on What to recycle Needing more detail Comments on where to find recycling points

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Frequency of giving out information

Most would like information only when things change

Also applies when people move house

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Frequency of Receiving Information about service

20%

31%

43%

2% 4%

Once year

Once 6 mths

Things change

Other

No Reply

Council Website Only 6% use it to get information

Age profile a factor butHalf still had a view – so presumably some had

tried/had perceived views Users tend to be happy; compliments about

clarity Non users :

Information is “buried” – difficult to navigate Younger people more responsive to online

and texts than older respondents Website not necessarily great for alerts;

emails preferred

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Preferred Ways of receiving information

Direct mail tops the bill! Two thirds vote for this Little variation across age groups or neighbourhoods

Older prefer written word – papers, Crawley Live Younger more receptive to online and texts Texts are more popular across all age groups when it comes to

alerts for unavoidable disruptions

www.crawley.gov.uk

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

%

20-39 yrs

40-59 yrs

60-79 yrs

80+ yrs

Receiving Text Message for unavoidable disruptions

Service Delivery

Two thirds want same day of week Hardly any support for refuse and recycling on

different days Three quarters happy with service collection as

is Two weekly collections not at all popular Lots of different views on containers for waste

and recycling……

www.crawley.gov.uk

What container?

One size does not fit all!

Little support for large wheeled bin for refuse and smaller one for recycling

2 large wheeled bins most preferred in Maidenbower

Comments on black bags

Wheeled bins for refuse more hygienic

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0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Total Responses

Large w heel bin refuse; small recyc

Large bin recycle; small refuse

2 large bins; refuse & recycle

Large bin recycles; black bags refus

No reply

Preferred Container

Getting Involved with Waste Management

62 respondents indicated a willingness to act as a Voluntary Waste Reduction Adviser

11 volunteers from Ifield None from Tilgate All other neighbourhoods between 2 and 7

www.crawley.gov.uk

Some thoughts on Implications of the Findings The importance of recycling seems to be getting through,

evidenced by:Support for larger recycling containers than refuseRange of items; places to recycle – moreValue of Neighbourhood Recycling Centres – don’t

remove themValue of Metcalf Way – only 15% don’t use itRecycling habits – part of routineSupport for on street recycling bins especially

Northgate Existing refuse/recycling service well liked by many

www.crawley.gov.uk

Things to think about…..

Information is key…. (seems to be the priority)The dilemma of addressing the specifics like

plastics; which is complicated, yet keeping it SIMPLE

Explaining the outcomes of contamination needs explaining, but in SIMPLE terms – what happens if it goes wrong?

Where other recyclable items not collected in REDtops can be recycled

Better information on items that can be recycled at each neighbourhood centre

Retaining variety of options important

www.crawley.gov.uk

More things to think about…?

Ways to encourage greater use of website Is information “buried”? Can it be improved? But it won’t reach everyone Not necessarily the best way to give alerting information

Encourage retention of written information Carry on with calendars Charts for neighbourhood recycling

Special articles to raise the profile of recycling; do an article specifically on plastics? Explain what happens to recycling; why it’s important NOT to contaminate

Joined up thinking……. When tenants move, ensure refuse/recycling information is sent to them; private householders via Council Tax

www.crawley.gov.uk

Still thinking!........

Confusion re: plastics needs addressing Manufacturers? CBC information

Giving choice on collection containers – but how realistic is this? If Council can’t pay for the wheeled bin, at least give the option

and perhaps negotiate with suppliers for reduced costs for householders?

Worth considering periodic collection service for green waste, but cost needs careful consideration; might be better to think of other communal options? And/or using Waste Reduction advisers?

62 respondents willing to help with waste reduction advise; all neighbourhoods except Tilgate represented; what next? How best to use? Help with home composting?

www.crawley.gov.uk