FOI Request - Household Kerbside Recycling
Request 101003990484
Please provide data for the financial year 2024/25. If 2024/25 data is not yet available, please provide the most recent 12-month period for which data is held.
Question 1: Contamination rate
a) The contamination rate for household kerbside recycling collections, expressed as a percentage
b) The total tonnage of household kerbside recycling that was rejected, disposed of, or diverted from recycling due to contamination
c) (If held) The contamination threshold at which a load is rejected (e.g. if contamination exceeds X%, the load is rejected)
d) What happens to household kerbside recycling that is rejected due to contamination? E.g. Sent to landfill, incineration/energy from waste, or another disposal route (please state)
Question 2: Cost of contamination
a) The total cost to the council of processing or disposing of contaminated household kerbside recycling for the same period
i. (If an exact figure is not available, please provide an estimate and indicate how this was calculated)
Question 3: Main contaminants (if recorded)
a) (If held) Please provide details of the main types of contamination found in household kerbside recycling collections (for example: food waste, nappies, non-recyclable plastics, textiles, garden waste, glass in incorrect streams, etc.)
Question 4: Processing cost differential
a) The cost per tonne to the council for processing or disposing of household kerbside recycling
b) The cost per tonne to the council for processing or disposing of general household waste
i. (If exact figures e.g. gate fees are not available, please provide estimates or typical/average costs)
Clarifications:
1. "Household kerbside recycling" refers to dry mixed recycling, paper/card, plastics, metals and glass collected from households at the kerbside – excluding food waste collections, garden waste collections, and materials deposited at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) or bring banks
2. If waste collection and disposal services are contracted out, please include data held by or on behalf of the council through these arrangements
3. If the council is a waste collection authority only and does not hold disposal cost data, please confirm this in your response and provide any contamination or rejection data you do hold
Response 26-05-2026
1.a) The Council operate an in-house Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) whereby a percentage of the mixed material is subject to segregation and is baled prior to onward re-processing. From the percentage of the material that is processed through the MRF, film, bags and other contaminants etc. are removed prior to baling. Of the loose material that is sent on, there is approximately 19% contamination. Note, the loose material equates to approx. 66% of the total volume.
b) Approx. 230 tonnes
c) No specific threshold.
d) Our re-processors are a zero landfill company. This means that any unrecyclable materials or contamination, are sent to Energy from Waste (EfW) plants, that are able to generate heat and energy recovery ensuring this waste material still contributes value.
2. a) The re-processor deals with contamination as an output from their MRF. Costs are agreed between them and the EfW operators they use. These would be considered commercially sensitive and therefore not known to the Council as the costs are not passed on in isolation to the Council. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held
i) As above, not held - S.17 FOISA.
3. a) Not held - S.17 FOISA. Contamination is recorded as: Non-Recyclables.
4. a) Costs are linked to the preceding months rates on www.letsrecycle.com for each material, which can fluctuate on a monthly basis. Haulage and handling costs are then added to produce a net value/cost for each material per tonne. These would be considered commercially sensitive and this information is therefore exempt under Section 33(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002- Commercial Sensitivity.
b) Commercially sensitive - S.33(1)b FOISA
i) Average costs not held - S.17 FOISA