Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to increase the amount of recycling bins available in public places.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
Local authorities are responsible for waste management arrangements at a local level, including the number and location of recycling bins in public places. As set out in the Government’s Litter Strategy, we want to support people being able to recycle more and to encourage people to recycle ‘on the go’. Standard litter bins often do not provide people with the opportunity to separate different types of waste materials for recycling, something which is easy to do and already done by many at home as part of their local kerbside recycling service.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme has produced a guide which provides key information on the options for, and benefits of, introducing recycling ‘on the go’ facilities. Its principal aims are to aid and inform decision making, and to highlight the options for introducing new recycling ‘on the go’ facilities or enhancing existing ones.
Additionally, the Litter Strategy sets out how we shall produce new guidance on bin infrastructure, looking at the design, number and location of public litter bins and other items of street furniture designed to capture litter.