New waste management strategy aims to make system ‘financially viable'

Government says it will invest in essential recycling and household waste infrastructure

A new 10-year waste strategy has been created by government to try and make the system ‘financially viable’ and ‘environmentally sound’.

It will go before Tynwald later this month to be voted on and has been developed by both the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

Under the new strategy, local authorities will still be required to collect household waste (a legal requirement under the Public Health Act), however changes could be made to the operations of the four civic amenity sites.

This would include a greater use of bring banks and introducing ‘service levels’ - due to varying provision of recycling services.

The government is also looking at making the provision of reuse sheds a ‘legal duty’ for the amenity sites.

It says funding the scheme would be ‘built’ into the local authority rates system.

Away from the amenity sites, the Department of Infrastructure would work with the local authorities and contractors to ‘improve efficiency’ of collection services and applying service levels.

As part of the strategy, the government says it will invest in essential infrastructure including recycling centres and reuse hubs as well as prioritising funding based on ‘waste flow data’.

The DoI also says a waste audit will be carried out before the scheme starts and then ‘periodically’ afterwards to monitor its effectiveness.

It will also launch public education campaigns to promote ‘behavioural change’ and raise awareness of recycling, reuse, and hazardous waste disposal.

DoI and DEFA Ministers Michelle Haywood and Clare Barber said: "The landscape of waste management is ever changing and a strategy that can adapt over time is needed. 

"This strategy is not positioned to address every potential waste scenario we face, instead the principles in this Strategy will enable us to make informed decisions to achieve the best outcomes for our Island."

You can find the full report here.