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Many households in Wye have been left wondering what will happen to their recyclables after KCC reaffirmed to Richard Boden and the parish council that they would not be able to increase their grant to WyeCycle.

At an informal meeting in Wye it is reported that Sue Barton, from KCC, confirmed that under government regulations KCC should not pay recycling credits for recyclables that are collected by any organisation such as WyeCycle in return for a fee.  KCC wrote to WyeCycle in January explaining this.  Credits are paid on a monthly basis and KCC will need to scrutinise what WyeCycle is doing and will stop paying credits on green waste and on the black box collection if it is clear that there are charges involved.  The fact that credits have wrongly been paid on green waste in the past does not mean that the practice will continue.

Richard Boden, for WyeCycle, confirmed that if the amount that WyeCycle receives in recycling credits is reduced or if credits are no longer paid at all, and then WyeCycle will be unable to carry on.  He suggested that if there is a problem paying recycling credits then the credits should be paid as a grant.  KCC has acknowledged in the past that WyeCycle is a community (organisation).

Well, this morning, as far as our scouts can report, the black bags are being collected whether they contain household refuse or recyclable material. There is some evidence that there has been a slight increase in the number of WyeCycle’s labels sold (Editor: available at Leppers £1.50/label). Residents are, naturally, quite exercised by the issue. As one of them commented “Wye has a culture of recycling that has been developed over many years. ABC, like other councils, is obliged to increase the amount of material not sent to landfill. It will be a great shame if we have to relearn a new cycle and that society is forced to incinerate.” Another, elderly, resident suggested that even a central recycling point will be inadequate to the needs of recycling. “Wye is just one of many small communities. If we continue as we are doing we shall be buried in our own rubbish.”

ABC is committed to collect all rubbish and reported to the meeting that, in the case of Wye with Hinxhill and Brook parishes, ABC could reinstate a weekly residual waste collection.  There are two factors that would trigger this action:

• The parishes concerned ask for a weekly residual waste collection to be reinstated, or
• There is so much additional residual waste (because parishioners use it to dispose of recyclables previously put into the black box collection) that sheer volume dictates the need for a weekly collection.

ABC’s contractor will monitor the amount of residual waste put out in the two parishes on a fortnightly basis and inform ABC if its volume increases to require the reinstatement of weekly collections.  ABC added “Market forces will therefore dictate what happens.”

Our Borough Councillor, Jack Woodford, comments, “The crux of the matter is that KCC are withdrawing credits for waste collected for which a charge is made. This is a policy made in Whitehall and to which KCC have to adhere to. Richard Boden, of course, thinks differently and instead of credits believes (WyeCycle) should have some type of grant to enable Wye Cycle to keep going……… We shall wait and see what rubbish is put out today and whether ABC has to send extra trucks in order to pick it up.  Then we shall monitor what happens over the next 2 weeks.”

ABC’s waste collection contract doesn’t come up for renewal until 2013.  Before the renewal ABC will review all waste collection options (including fortnightly residual waste collections).  But, at present, no decisions can be made as to which options will be adopted. It is quite possible that ABC can also organise recycling banks (bring sites) if requested.  Any recycling credits would go to the organisation concerned (e.g., parish councils). Wye parish council might, for example apply to locate bottle/paper/glass banks locally. But before they do that the community would want to know that they did not attract vandals or worse.

We  are all familiar with Richard Boden and his team and it causes us all distress to see what anguish this causes them. Richard has stated that WyeCycle is a community business that  provides a service that benefits both the community and the environment.  If the local community does not want a domestic recycling service then WyeCycle will lay off staff and concentrate on trade waste which will pay one salary, he said. Similarly, if parishioners ‘vote’ by giving up using their black boxes and putting their recyclables in with the residual waste (so that weekly domestic waste collections have to be reinstated) then WyeCycle will have to lay off employees as WyeCycle business declines. Likewise, if WyeCycle fails to get funds from KCC then the community must pay for WyeCycle’s services or lose them.

Frankly, in the present financial environment and from the comments of KCC, the possibility of KCC changing its mind seems remote. WyeCycle has been in the recycling area longer than most and probably, driven by its enthusiastic founder, longer than the Johnny-Come-Latelys. Nevertheless all homeowners are aware of the high council costs in Wye and extra charges are not welcome. It would be a pity that any of the parties involved consider Wye residents complacent about either their rubbish, recycling or fair prices.