The Household Waste Problem

Despite a 1.8% decrease, recently published Government statistics show UK households are still producing 26.4 million tonnes of waste, with England responsible for 83% of the household waste figures.

 

This equates to the average person in the UK throwing away around 400kg of household waste each year, despite council collections operating on a steady decline.

 

The UK is also falling behind other European countries when it comes to recycling, with the 45% rate dropping 0.5% from previous years and falling short of the Government’s 50% target by 2020.

 

As a recent BBC study shows, just one in six councils are collecting waste from the majority of homes in their area every week.

 

15 authorities have switched to collections once every three weeks, with some even operating a monthly service, and data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) suggests 3.6 million households across England, Scotland and Wales have been affected by a fortnightly shift since 2012.

 

Councils claim the cost-cutting switch improves recycling rates, although the figures fail to evidence this.

 

And, in another BBC report, it is claimed there was 1.8 million missed bin collection complaints in the UK in 2018, with the likes of Birmingham Council forced to offer monetary compensation due to repeated missed collections and failure to respond to the resulting enquiries.

 

Overflowing bins have become a common sight for many, and countless areas have also witnessed an increase in litter, with community initiatives to combat the issue springing up across the UK.

Woman clearing beach area of litter

 

The Solution

A private rubbish collection service can be the solution to excess waste. Whether this is due to declining council pick-ups, household circumstances, or both, overflowing rubbish doesn’t have to be endured.

 

Many households find themselves with additional waste after special occasions such as the festive period or following parties, or due to situations like decorating and spring cleaning.

 

A one-off bin collection allows households to quickly resolve the added waste these events can produce without having to wait for decreasing council services.

 

And some households are naturally disadvantaged when it comes to refuse, with large families or co-habiting professionals often producing more waste than the average two-person set-up.

 

Additional waste cover can relieve stress for these households, aid proper recycling and benefit the community as a whole.