Kerbside collections rollout ends 13 years of recycled promises as targets finally hit

With about 50 homes now left to cover the local authority has described it as a ‘fantastic achievement’ although opposition groups have said it was ‘disingenuous’ to claim victory given the near decade and a half roll out.

The program started in July 2012, with communal properties, including flats and large areas of social housing, left off following what the Green Party described as delays, excuses, and broken promises.

The matter was raised during the borough’s last full council meeting when Councillor Hannah Avery, executive member for neighbourhood services, said: “I can very gladly tell you that our recycling and waste team have worked incredibly hard over the last year since it was agreed for us to process the role out from the 65,000 household properties.

“We had about 5,500 that did not have access to that – I can now tell you that we have less than 50 sites or households within the borough that don’t have the recycling service at kerbside.

“It’s actually three months ahead of schedule because of the waste resources strategy, the deadline was March 2026.

‘We should hopefully be on track – we are currently – to finish this process three months in advance of that date.

“Our full recycling service has been rolled out to our schools and colleges in our boroughs as well. It’s a fantastic achievement.”

The problem, the Green Party said, is that the promise was made more than a decade ago.

Cllr Jonathan Essex (Green, Redhill East) said that in October 2014 the council promised an extended recycling service for residents with communal bins or who lived in flats more than a year before – and a completion date of 2015.

At the time, he said, the council said it added 200 flats and that a further 8,500 would be included by October 2015 – but issues around the contamination meant it was pushed back until the end of March 2016.

Cllr Essex said: “It’s good news that the scheme is finally operating, but it should have been rolled out to everyone at the same time, rather than thousands of households paying the same council tax for a poorer services for more than a decade.

“The money saved from collecting that extra recycling would have paid for itself many times over.

“So it’s disingenuous of the Conservatives to claim that finishing this after 13 years is somehow a monumental achievement.”

Cllr Hannah Avery said : “In 2012, we rolled out an enhanced household recycling service in the borough that included the collection of food waste, mixed recycling, paper and card, and rubbish.

“It was challenging to deliver the full service to some properties, particularly flats, due to issues such as access routes, vehicle restrictions or limited bin storage.

“However, by 2020 around 90 per cent of Reigate & Banstead households were able to recycle all materials, which are soon to be required nationally by the government’s new Simpler Recycling legislation.

“Recent investment has allowed us to work with residents and management companies to identify and implement the solutions needed to complete the roll out to all remaining homes.

“It’s great news that all residents can now recycle conveniently from home and that we are fully compliant with the new legislation well in advance of the March 2026 deadline.”