Increasing the diversion of household waste through kerbside recycling systems.

Kerbside recycling schemes in the UK are voluntary. In 2003/4, 61% of households in Wales had some form of kerbside recycling scheme collecting at least one material. Householders are encouraged in a variety of ways to segregate targeted recyclables from their general waste and to put this at the kerbside in any number of separate receptacles. There are many ways of increasing the diversion of household waste into kerbside recycling systems. A plethora of incentives, penalties and communications can be offered and many awareness raising schemes can be employed. This thesis uses a case study authority to trial, then subsequently examine the effectiveness of specific methods to increase the diversion of household waste into kerbside recycling systems. A public waste awareness campaign and a schools waste education programme are implemented within the authority a range of incentives were used, some using voluntary approaches and others financial carrots. Key aspects of the work include a legislative overview of household waste in Wales, a quantitative examination of the scale of the household waste problem and a study of attitudes towards waste, actual recycling behaviour and the effectiveness of a waste awareness campaign and a schools waste education programme. It is thought local authorities which implement kerbside recycling and composting schemes, and still have significant tonnage to divert to meet their 2010 diversion targets, will not meet them by implementing voluntary/carrots and financial/carrots incentives alone. Ultimately, alternative waste treatment technologies that do not require households to participate in segregation or a significant change in kerbside recycling behaviour (thought only possible through financial/stick incentives or alternate weekly collections) will be needed for local authorities to meet the 2010 Wales Waste Strategy targets and reach the required BMW diversion set in the Landfill Allowance Scheme. Waste awareness campaigns and schools education campaigns have a role to play, but, should not be solely relied on to meet short term diversion targets