Exeter is recycling laggard

"Appalling" rate is Devon's worst

Exeter’s recycling rate has been called “appalling” as it again ranked bottom of all councils in Devon.

Despite a slight increase on the previous year, just 27.8 per cent of waste was recycled in the city in 2020/21 according to new waste performance statistics, less than half the figure of neighbouring East Devon. By comparison, Plymouth’s recycling rate the year before was 34.1 per cent.

Exeter City Council doesn’t yet offer kerbside food waste and glass collections for households, though a limited food trial is set to begin soon. Currently, residents put unwanted and leftover food in their black bags for collection and take glass to bottle banks.

Councillor Diana Moore (Green, St David’s), co-leader of the Progressive Group which includes the Greens, Lib Dems and one Independent said: “It’s encouraging the rate’s gone up but actually the recycling rate in Exeter is appalling and we can do much better than that.”

The new report, presented to the Devon authorities’ strategic waste committee, acknowledges the “combination of challenges faced by urban authorities, including organic waste collection policies.”

In July Exeter put kerbside glass collection on hold indefinitely, while the long-awaited food service was scaled back to a pilot for one area this autumn. Councillors previously heard that the pandemic was the main reason for the delay, along with setbacks in buying electric vehicles to operate the service.

Speaking in July, Councillor David Harvey (Labour, Pinhoe), portfolio holder for city management, said: “I and my colleagues are not prepared to rush a half-baked service,” adding: “The staff are working their socks off to deliver this for the residents of Exeter. I am absolutely confident that we will be using a pilot rollout [for food waste] in the autumn, which will be followed by a rollout across the city, and for glass collection vehicles to follow that.”

However, Cllr Moore has accused the council of “dither and delay” over the rollout, citing a recent report which showed food makes up almost half of general waste in the city – the highest figure in Devon.

“A whole myriad of reasons have been given for not introducing [a food waste and glass scheme], so we’re staying with the system as we are, plus a food waste collection. This needs to be an utter priority for the city council to improve our facilities for collecting waste, introducing the new food waste service and reducing the waste that goes to incineration.”

“If the council is serious about its 2030 ambitions, then it really has to deliver on this really soon because otherwise we’re not going to be able to have confidence that the council will be able to lead the city in making the changes that we need to see.”

An Exeter City Council spokesperson said: “The city council is committed to introducing a kerbside food waste collection and a phased rollout of the new service will begin in the next few weeks.

“Introducing a food waste collection service will significantly improve the city’s recycling rates.”

Despite having the worst recycling rate, Exeter did produce the least amount of household waste per head in Devon (296kg) last year. People in the South Hams are the highest waste-generators (410kg).