Waste plant plan to boost home recycling wins £50m

Hampshire residents will be able to put plastic pots and trays in recycling bins for the first time

Multimillion-pound funding has been approved for a planned waste plant to boost home recycling.

The materials recovery facility (MRF) will allow kerbside collections of waste such as glass and plastic trays, Hampshire County Council said.

The authority, which is sharing the cost with councils in Portsmouth and Southampton, has allocated up to £50.5m.

The plant is due to open on council land off Chickenhall Lane, Eastleigh, by the end of 2027.

Hampshire's two existing MRFs in Alton and Portsmouth cannot process the full range of items prescribed by the government, councillors were told.

The new plant would allow glass, plastic pots, plastic trays and cartons to be placed in home recycling bins for the first time.

The scheme will boost recycling and reduce carbon emissions, the council said

Households would have up to four recycling containers for different items, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council will borrow the money, "supported by a robust business case to be submitted for approval in due course", a meeting of the Universal Services select committee was told.

However, Green Party councillor Malcolm Wallace said: "I am uncertain about supporting a recommendation that gives officers the approval to spend £50m without seeing the business case.

"How can we support the recommendations if we cannot scrutinise the cost?"

Following the meeting, Councillor Kirsty North approved the county council funding, which is about 77% of the plant's cost.

The Conservative cabinet member for Universal Services said it was a "momentous first step" towards reducing waste incineration and cutting carbon emissions.