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Improving rural waste collection

Our waste management consultancy, Tonkin + Taylor, have prepared the survey to help us understand current farm waste practices to support the design of proposed mobile waste collection pilot trial that meets the needs of the farming community. 

Senior science advisor for contaminated land and waste science, Jack Grinsted, says “the primary goal of this project is to develop more sustainable and convenient alternatives to the use of farm pits, including by making recycling of farm materials more accessible for farmers”. 

To achieve this, we are investigating ways to improve waste management and recycling services in rural areas. Any new service will work alongside existing Agrecovery and Plasback schemes and not replace them. 

Jack says that farmers have welcomed waste management services, such as those from Agrecovery and Plasback, to remove plastic waste from farms. “Many are also hiring skip bins to remove other waste streams that would have previously been burnt or buried. However, due to cost or availability, this option is not viable for many”.    

The purpose of this research is to explore what infrastructure or service options could be made available to manage waste streams generated from the commercial activities of farms (not domestic waste).  

“We’re working closely with district councils as well, as we will need to work with them to coordinate the pilot trial and any new service that results from the trial. It would need to tie into existing district council waste collection services”. 

Proposed rural waste collection pilot (how it works)

We are proposing a pilot trial for a new mobile waste collection service to help rural communities manage bulky and difficult-to-dispose of farm waste. Its aim is to deliver a more accessible and cost-effective way to dispose of waste that:

• Is difficult to manage on-farm
• Is not accepted by existing services like Agrecovery or Plasback

How it would work

• Skip bins will be placed at a set local drop-off point
• Available for every 4-6 weeks.
• The drop-off point will be staffed for the day.
• The bins will move around different locations in the district throughout the month. 

What waste can be collected?

The service would accept farm-generated waste, with:

• Separate bins for recycling and landfill
• Clear guidance on what can and cannot be disposed of

The design of the pilot trial is a proposal and is subject to change following the results of the research.