What's in our recycling and waste survey results

Every five years we carry out a physical survey to find out what our waste is made up of.

The waste composition survey involves collecting samples of general waste, recycling and food waste and sorting them into the various types and quantities of materials.

This survey is carried out by a company called Waste Research on behalf of the council working with its waste providers.

Waste Research are a company specialising in waste services and studies and have conducted many similar surveys for other local authorities.

The survey gives us an insight to:

• how much of the household waste could have been recycled
• how much of it could be used to generate energy when the new energy from waste plant is operating at Forest Park, Newport
• how much would have gone to landfill.

This will help us improve waste and recycling education campaigns for you in the future.

It also helps the Island to better manage waste generated on the Island.

For example, the most recent survey found on average, a typical black refuse bin on the Island is made up of nearly 22 per cent food waste.

In response, we ran a major food recycling campaign.

The survey is carried out in several areas across the Island, at different time of year to make up a representative sample.

The waste is collected as normal on the scheduled day of the week and is then sent in a collection vehicle for sampling at a location on the Island.

No personal data or information is identified neither will the sampled bins be identified with individual properties.

Collected waste is kept secured throughout the analysis and once completed, our waste provider disposes of the collected waste in the normal way.

We will let you know when the next survey takes place and what the findings were here.