Waste and Recycling Service Transformation at South Kesteven District Council

Back in January 2024 the team were faced with a new management structure and the imminent rollout of two new collection services – paper and card (as part of a twin stream collection) and batteries. Contamination levels had been rising and peaked at 30% and the service needed a shake up if the new waste stream collections were to be successfully rolled out. The state of the service was highlighted by a failed rollout of the twin stream recycling service, which was designed to split paper and card from the comingled dry mixed recycling (DMR) and reduce contamination in the DMR bin. Although residents responded well to the new paper and card collections, the contamination reduction campaign fell short of residents expectations and despite a rigorous communication campaign the number of rejected contaminated bins was so high that we were forced to abandon the plan after only two days.

In the moment, this abandonment felt like a huge failure for the team who had worked so hard to deliver a plan which, in the end, just wasn’t quite right for SKDC’s residents. However, it gave the team the opportunity to regroup and think about how we could get the plan back on track. Within days of the abandonment, an improved plan was formulated which focussed on the needs of our residents and used data to target resources and maximise efficiency. Both data collected through our in-cab system and a rigorous and targeted communication plan played key roles in the new plan. By the summer of 2024, the ‘new’ plan had been fully delivered, and contamination had dropped to 7.5% in August 2024 and then to 5.25% by December.

This project and the lessons learned from it shaped the way SKDC’s Waste and Recycling team went on to deliver future service changes including kerbside battery collections and now food waste collections. The team have learned that effective communication is data driven and that our residents need bespoke project plans, which reflect the needs of our communities. Looking ahead, with LGR looming for Lincolnshire, the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership (LWP) is assessing how we can continue to deliver services which are bespoke to local needs but also consistent across borders ready for any potential changes that may come with LGR.

For example, in our food waste rollout the LWP members jointly procured caddies thus benefitting from economies of scale. Additionally, we have a shared Communications Officer who works with each of the Lincolnshire Districts and Boroughs to ensure consistent messaging which meets the needs of local communities. This methodology, supported by the lessons learned from SKDC’s challenges in 2024, has been a great success and as food waste collections settle we look forward to getting our teeth into our next Simpler Recycling challenge…plastic bags and