Gloucester City Council recycling dispute ends after 18 months

The dispute over rubbish collections dates back to June 2018

Changes to what can be recycled in Gloucester are to be brought in following a dispute between the council and a waste collector.

Last year Gloucester City Council claimed Amey "lost" 2,000 tonnes of rubbish, costing taxpayers £250,000.

The firm, which denied the claims, said "significant progress" had been made and it was finalising negotiations.

The new measures include changes to collection of small electrical items, textiles and batteries.

Council leader Richard Cook said new recycling arrangements would provide £720,000 of extra income for the authority up to March 2022.

Mr Cook, who was responsible for waste and recycling at the authority at the time of the original dispute in June 2018, said three senior managers dealing with the dispute "have left" and new management had "taken a more constructive approach".

Funds retained

He told a council meeting on Thursday that there was now a new relationship with Amey, which holds the contract to collect and sort Gloucester's kerbside waste.

He said the council would retain £225,000 of funds it previously withheld from the firm.

Mr Cook said changes to the system, which will come into force on 9 December, would "increase the value of recyclables we collect and help Amey deliver a proper kerbside sorting service".

Among the changes:

• Textiles and batteries will no longer be collected

• Small electrical items such as irons, kettles and hairdryers will start to be collected

• Residents will need to use two boxes, one for glass and the second for plastic, cans, tetrapaks, aerosols and foil

• Rubbish collectors will take all paper, card and cardboard in blue sacks

• Food waste will still be collected in brown caddies

An Amey spokesperson said: "We are pleased to have made significant progress with Gloucester City Council on this issue.

"We look forward to finalising negotiations and working proactively and positively with our client to deliver a high-quality service for local residents."