Leeds should have 'enhanced' garden waste collections, better recycling and no more bulky waste charges, claim councillors

According to a motion, known as a white paper, set to go before a full Leeds City Council meeting next week, opposition Conservative councillors will call on the authority's ruling Labour administration to make recycling easier for citizens.

The paper, set to be presented by Coun Paul Wadsworth, also claims the council should "regret" the increase in waste disposal costs during the pandemic, while doing more to improve existing waste services.

The white paper, which members will vote on whether to adopt as Leeds City Council policy, reads: "This council calls for a comprehensive review of waste management services to ensure they are providing value for money for Leeds residents and meeting our climate goals.

"Council regrets that the cost of the refuse collection service rose significantly in 2021/22 at the same time as residents saw a marked drop in performance. It is unacceptable that even now, as pandemic restrictions have eased, many areas are still experiencing an unreliable service with frequent missed collections causing significant disruption.

"Council further regrets the length of time it took the administration to finally remove charges for bulky waste collections, something opposition groups have long called for as a way of helping to reduce fly-tipping. The refusal to act earlier undoubtedly had a financial and environmental impact that could have been avoided."

The Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently committed to the "near-elimination of biodegradable municipal waste" in landfills by 2028. This includes government funding to introduce free local authority food waste collections.

A full Leeds City Council meeting will discuss the paper on Wednesday, March 23.