Northumberland's glass waste collection trial to continue - but no decision on extension

Four thousand homes across four towns in Northumberland have been involved in the trial since November 2020.

While the scheme has been welcomed, council officers have said that a funding boost is needed from central government before it can be rolled out county-wide.

Officers attended Northumberland County Council’s local area committees to explain the latest situation to councillors.

Speaking at Tynedale Local Area Council on Tuesday (March 16), neighbourhood services divisional manager Stephen Wardle said the trial would continue for another 12 months and that yields had been encouraging.

The committee’s chairman, Coun Trevor Cessford, said: “I’m pleased to see the glass recycling has been extended for a further 12 months, but of course that leads to another question – when is a report going to come to council and a decision made, because it has been going on for 18 months, so that will be two and a half years.

“Myself and others have been asked when it is going to be expanded to the full county.”

Responding, Mr Wardle explained it was an issue of funding, but that the trial and its results would help in any applications in the future.

He said: “This is all linked to Government funding and the Environment Bill that will come in.

“What we have got to be careful not to do is commit – if we did roll this out county-wide it would be an enormous expense and we wouldn’t be entitled to any funding for that.

“It’s all gathering information. It’s gone very well so far, very encouraging.”

The Government’s Environment Bill, which sets out environmental protections in a post-Brexit UK, was brought into law towards the end of 2021.

Among the changes is a requirement for councils to collect food waste separately by the end of 2023.

Officers said a food waste trial is “currently being planned” with more information to be provided once the plans are finalised.

No locations have been decided, but it is unlikely to be in the same locations as the glass trial.