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4.0 RESEARCH RESULTS AND FEEDBACK FROM HOUSEHOLDERS

Research was undertaken as part of the project to establish:

• what was in the household waste stream in the trial area;
• peoples' perception of recycling in the trial area;
• whether the twin bin method of collection was successful in diverting materials for composting;
• the effectiveness of the methods of communication used.

The methods Waste Watch used to monitor the progress and obtain feedback are discussed with the findings in the following sections.

4.1 Waste Analyses

Waste analyses were undertaken to help assess the impact that the introduction of the scheme had on the waste disposal habits of the trial area residents. Three waste analyses were undertaken:

1) Waste Analysis One (October 1998) provided baseline data on what was in the waste stream in the trial area and how the households were disposing of the waste.

2) Waste Analysis Two (October 1998) examined the waste outside of the trial where households received a weekly refuse collection. This was used as a control sample to assess the impact of the twin bin scheme.

3) Waste Analysis Three (May 1999) was undertaken in the trial area to examine any differences between the waste disposal habits of the householders from the first waste analysis undertaken seven months earlier.

Waste Analysis One

In October 1998, Waste Watch selected a sample of 80 trial area properties that represented a cross-section of the property type in the area. All the waste and recyclables put out for collection through the two-week cycle were collected separately from the normal refuse collection and the contents analysed. The 80 households represented the socio-economic profile of the trial area and were selected without prior knowledge of the waste disposal habits of the residents.

Findings

Approximately half of the bins were placed out for collection by householders. This was lower than expected, and the low rate may have been due to the new refuse collection time being earlier than normal for some of the households.

An even lower percentage of red and blue boxes were placed out for collection. Suggestions for this result are:

• Householders only placed the boxes out for collection when they were full.
• Householders were not using the recycling boxes to their full capacity. It was discovered that 29% of the contents of the grey refuse bins were dry recyclables, which should have been placed in the red or blue boxes.

The initial waste analysis showed that around a third of the waste disposed of in the grey refuse bin in the trial area was organic waste that could have been recycled in the brown bin. Due to the nature of the material, it was extremely difficult to separate the kitchen and garden wastes. The analysis suggested that 92% of the organic waste was kitchen waste and 8% was from the garden.

These findings were communicated to the householders in the newsletter with a reminder to fully utilise the red and blue box scheme in partnership with the twin bin scheme.

Summary of results

The recycling rate in the trial area was 26%. This was made up of 12% (by weight of the total collected) organic waste collected in the brown bin and 14% dry recyclables in the blue and red boxes.

The contamination rate in the brown bins was 4% (9% if newspaper used to wrap the waste was included). A third of the contents of the refuse bin was organic waste and 29% was dry recyclables indicating that further capture was possible for both of these types of waste. If these were captured in the recycling collections, the recycling rate could be as high as 71% on the basis of this analysis.

Waste Analysis Two

A similar mix of 80 properties were selected from outside of the trial area where a weekly refuse collection continued to be received. The waste from these properties was collected and analysed in the same manner as the first waste analysis. This data was compared with that collected from the trial area and was used to contrast the households' waste disposal habits. The waste was collected in the same week as the first waste analysis in order to eliminate any seasonal or holiday variations.

Findings

Approximately 75% of the households were in possession of red and blue boxes. Despite this, 30% of the waste in the refuse bins was dry recyclables. The recycling rate was 7%, which is equivalent to the national average. Organic waste made up 35% of the contents of the refuse bins.

Summary of results

This analysis showed that the potential recycling rate (69%) in the comparison area was almost identical to the trial area's potential recycling rate (71%). The high percentage of dry recyclables and organic waste in the refuse bins suggested that there was great potential to dramatically increase the recycling rate in this area by promoting the existing collections for dry recyclables and expanding the organic waste collection.

Waste Analysis Three

The final waste analysis was undertaken in May 1999 at the same 80 trial area properties, using the same methods as the first waste analysis. This analysis determined the changes in the waste disposal habits of the householders participating in the twin bin scheme.

Findings

The most significant findings were:

• The percentage of organic waste in the grey refuse bin had decreased from 33% to 21%. This suggests that the information supplied had helped to increase diversion towards recycling of this material.
• The quantity of organic waste collected in the brown bin had risen by nearly five times.
• The contamination in the brown organic bin had reduced from 4% to 1%.
• The percentage of kitchen organic waste in the grey refuse bin had decreased from 31% to 19%, indicating the kitchen pre-sort bins were helping the householders to separate out and save this type of waste.
• The quantity of dry recyclables collected in the boxes had increased by 45%. However, this did not increase the recycling rate for this type of material, and this is most likely because the overall amount of waste collected had increased as well.
• The combined organic waste and dry recyclables recycling rate had increased doubled from 26% to 52%. A large part of this was due to a significant increase in the diversion rate for organic materials, from 12% to 39%.

Summary of results

The third waste analysis showed that recycling of organic waste had dramatically increased and that presence of newspaper in the brown bin had been reduced significantly. Reasons for this may be:

• Householders had adapted to separating their kitchen waste and were more comfortable with placing the kitchen waste directly into the brown bin, without wrapping it in newspaper.
• The kitchen pre-sort bins were being used effectively and householders were emptying the smaller bin directly into the brown bin.

The following pie charts show how the householders presented their waste for collection in each of the waste analyses and an indication of the potential recycling rate based upon what was in the waste stream.

Waste analysis one - baseline data from trial area households

Waste analysis two - control data from households outside the trial area

Waste analysis three - final data from trial area households

A comparison of the trial area householders' presentation of material at the start and end of the trial illustrates the improved levels of diversion of organic waste from the refuse bin to the organic waste collection bin.

The percentage of dry recyclables captured in the recycling boxes was lower in May than in October although the weight of dry recyclables had increased from 298kg to 419kg. The likely explanation for the percentage decrease in dry recyclables is an increase in the total amount of waste collected due to seasonal variations.

4.2 Feedback from the Householders

During the trial, three questionnaires were undertaken to monitor progress and obtain feedback from householders.

1) A Waste Analysis Questionnaire was undertaken two months after the first waste analysis, to compare the results to the data collected in the analysis.

2) A Sample Survey provided an update from a random selection of trial area households on the operation of the scheme and how households were managing the fortnightly collection.

3) A Final Questionnaire was sent to every trial area household and provided an overall measurement of the householders' perception and gave householders the opportunity to provide feedback on the manageability of the scheme.

4.2.1 Waste Analysis Questionnaire

This was intended to discover the opinions of the 80 trial area households selected for the waste analysis and to determine how they used the recycling collection services.

98% of them agreed with the principle of recycling and 4% admitted that they never recycled their waste. About half recycled their kitchen waste and 92% recycled their garden waste most or all of the time. 75% said that they used the organic waste collection service every fortnight.

4.2.2 Sample Survey

In partnership with Daventry District Council, Waste Watch carried out a survey of around 400 householders to gain their feedback on the trial. The sample of residents was chosen randomly and questioned on the doorstep or by telephone. The survey assessed the manageability of the trial to date, the levels of participation in the trial, and the level of support for the continuation of the scheme.

93% of the surveyed householders said that they agreed with the principle of recycling and 89% wanted the green waste collections to continue. Approximately 82% were happy for the scheme to continue unchanged. 8% made suggestions for changes to the scheme, mostly that the refuse collection return to a weekly one.

Over half of the respondents found the scheme manageable and nearly three quarters used the recycling boxes every week and the organic waste collection every fortnight.

The results of the sample questionnaire helped Daventry District Council to decide to expand the twin bin collection of green waste to the remainder of the District.

4.2.3 Final Questionnaire

This questionnaire was intended to give all of the trial area householders the opportunity to give feedback on the scheme and the information and support provided by Waste Watch.

Almost all of the respondents thought that recycling of garden and kitchen waste was a good idea and most householders (90%) found the scheme manageable. It is encouraging that 93% reported that they had increased recycling in their household since the start of the trial and that 74% found it easier to recycle kitchen waste using the kitchen bins provided by Waste Watch. 61% also reported that they had increased the amount of kitchen waste they put out for recycling as a result of being provided with the kitchen bins.

89% of respondents found the information provided throughout the trial adequate and 88% found the additional help and support provided by Waste Watch useful.

As part of this survey the views of the householders were sought on the Green Waste Update newsletters Waste Watch had produced to support the trial. Information on the materials that could be recycled and the calendar showing collection dates were ranked as the most useful elements of the newsletters. Only 6% reported that they did not read the newsletter which indicates this was a useful way of keeping people informed about the trial.

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