At its Cabinet meeting this week, the GLI (Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Independent) administration of East Suffolk Council presented their proposals to drastically increase the range and volume of products which can be processed for household recycling.
The introduction of “twin stream" approach to collections, will see households receiving an extra wheelie bin or container, where paper and card can be placed to separate these items from plastics, metal, cartons, glass bottles and jars. The scheme will introduce a new weekly food waste collection in Spring 2026 resulting in each household managing four wheelie bins, instead of the current three.
Cllr James Mallinder, former Cabinet member for the Environment in the last East Suffolk Conservative administration, is concerned that the suggested changes will over complicate the process for residents. He believes, the introduction of another receptacle will mean more plastic bins which is not beneficial to society and the environment.
He said: “We all understand the need to move away from plastic and not using it more in our everyday lives. The proposed sorting at home is just not practical. The proposals as they stand will be highly confusing to many of our residents especially the elderly. Recycling should be as simple as possible.
“The key aspect in recycling is to reduce the contamination to a minimum. If bins are contaminated it becomes residue waste and is just burnt or worse still goes to land fill and that’s just throwing away the hard work of household sorting and collecting material in the first place.
Cllr Mallinder said: “Yet again the Green Party talk about environment concerns but fail to deliver, these proposed changes damage the environment with more bins, purchasing of more waste trucks and a larger risk of household recycling contamination. In the Summer months, this new process will lead to smells, encourage vermin, and a possible knock-on effect of fly tipping waste on pavements. We need a different approach between rural and urban collections, and we need to see a much better approach to understand what will work rather than forcing a new system on our residents.
The Green Party at East Suffolk should properly consult residents and opposition members and not deliver proposals as a done deal, another example of decisions made behind closed doors. This is yet again an example of confused messaging from the Green Party and a lack of understanding the big picture of environmental impact.
Much work is needed in these proposals and East Suffolk Conservatives will be working hard to direct the Green Party and Lib Dems administration to make the right decision, for our residents, for Suffolk and for our environment.”
