Sevenoaks District Council

06 March 2025

For Immediate Release

Residents have their say on waste!

Thousands of residents shared their views on Sevenoaks District Council’s waste and recycling collection services as part of the ‘BIG Waste Conversation’ survey.

An online survey was available from 9 December 2024 to 3 February 2025 and 3,853 people took part. The Council also ran a face-to-face version of the survey that was representative of the District population, and a further 427 people participated.

The survey sought to understand how residents currently deal with their waste. The Council also wanted to hear views about how best to meet new Government obligations to collect glass and food waste and a new 65% national recycling target while getting the best value for money.

Cllr Irene Roy, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, says: “I want to thank the many people who took part in our BIG Waste Conversation.

“The Council has to modernise its waste collection services so they are more carbon and cost efficient while helping our residents to recycle more of their waste.

“Recycling is not only good for the environment, it’s the most cost effective way of dealing with waste. Our current recycling rate is only 37%. This is much lower than many areas and we produce more waste than most. The average Kent household puts out 420 kilos of waste a year, but in the Sevenoaks District, this figure is 580 kilos.

“Before we take any decisions on the future of the service, we wanted to hear the views of residents.

“Our survey found there was an appetite for change. Most residents who responded want more recycling options while reducing the environmental impact of the service.

“There was strong support for home glass collections and providing households with wheelie bins for their waste.

“A small majority were in favour of food waste collections and views were split on the frequency of waste and recycling collections.”

The survey results will be considered by the Council’s Cleaner and Greener Advisory Committee (12 March) then Cabinet (20 March) along with a timeline for any changes.

Key survey results

Residents’ recycling habits

For both surveys…

• Over 90% say they recycle paper and cardboard, metal cans, tins, empty aerosols, bottle tops and lids and plastics
• Between 80 and 90% say they recycle aluminium meal trays and foil and long-life cartons
• Between 70 and 79% say they recycle glass and single-use batteries

Attitudes towards recycling

The Council should provide recycling services to help reduce the amount of waste residents put out for collection

• Representative survey 88%
• Online survey 87%

The Council should improve the environmental impact of the waste and recycling services

• Representative survey 89%
• Online survey 86%

The Council should reach or exceed the new national 65% recycling target

• Representative survey 86%
• Online survey 77%

Support for collecting waste one week and recycling the next

• Representative survey - 44%
• Online survey - 27%

Support for providing households with a wheelie bin for their waste

• Representative survey - 69%
• Online survey – 67%

New collection services

Residents who would use a glass collection service

• 88% - both surveys

Residents who would use a food waste collection service

• Representative survey - 66%
• Online survey - 55%

Support for new communal bins

(For residents who generally live in flats and/or on an estate with dedicated, communal waste and recycling bins)

Glass bottles and jars

• Representative survey - 77%
• Online survey - 80%

Food waste

• Representative survey - 86%
• Online survey - 58%

Other things like clothes, textiles and small electrical items

• Representative survey - 61%
  Online survey - 55%

The survey results are available in full at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/bigwaste.

Issued by: Daniel Whitmarsh

Call: 01732 227414
e-mail: [email protected]