Overview of Arrangements for Green Waste Collection

The collection of Green Waste (also termed Garden Waste) can be via two main types of system:

  • Segregated Collection - involves the collection of Green Waste in one receptacle (usually a 240 litre bin) and collected in a single compartment vehicle. The subsequent processing of the Green Waste is in Windrow Composting but can also be used in In Vessel Composting as a bulking and 'carrying medium' to allow the process to work.
  • Single Stream Co-mingled (fully Co-mingled) - involves the collection of Food Waste and Green Waste in one receptacle (usually a 240 litre bin) and collected in a single compartment vehicle. The subsequent processing of the mixed material is in an In Vessel Composting system but it is also possible to process in Windrow Composting if the material can be guaranteed to be free of cooked and raw meat in order to comply with ABPR

Variations

There is no legal requirement for a Waste Collection Authority to collect Green Waste with no charge from residents, and this has led to two types of arrangement being implemented across the country:

Charged and No Charge Systems

  • Free Collection - Most authorities started out without charging, and those that continue to provide the service with no charge/fee, do so due to political reluctance to charge and/or a perception that a change would lead to a drop in recycling figures
  • Charged Collection - Many authorities have moved to a charged system, mainly driven by a desire to recover the cost of collection from those that use it the most, but also due to the perception that free collection leads to an increase in collected waste and a reduction in, for example, home composting

Waste Disposal Systems

In addition to Green Waste collected by the Waste Collection Authority, Green Waste is also handled by the Waste Disposal Authority at a Household Waste Recycling Centre where the public bring their Garden Waste/Green Waste to be bulked up and disposed of in a similar way to the collected Green Waste

Collection Systems

The collection arrangements can therefore vary according to the type of broad approach, the containers used and the frequency of collection. They will also very according to the way the service is linked to Dry Recyclables, Food and Residual arrangements - the combination of which is further set out in a separate page on Collection System Design. In addition, the Waste Collection Authority may vary service delivery throughout the year with some reducing or ceasing collection over the winter months or just over the Christmas period.

By selecting the 'What links here' in the index to the left of this page, the Waste Collection Authority that utilizes the arrangement is listed for comparison.