The Labour led Exeter City Council is preparing to deliver on its commitment to provide food waste and glass collection from every household in The City. Council officers are currently working on the procurement of brand new vehicles to collect these additional materials for recycling.

The final selection of vehicles will take account of the narrow and winding City Streets which have changed dramatically with many more cars parked because of the pandemic. Wherever practicable Council vans and lorries will be electrically powered.

The energy for these vehicles will come from the City Council’s very own solar power plant which is being built near Bromhams Farm Playing Fields.  Food waste will be recycled at an aerobic digesting plant in Holsworthy which converts it to fertiliser and generates electricity for the national grid, reducing Devon’s reliance on fossil fuel energy and taking Exeter closer to being a Net Zero carbon City. It is expected that this service will commence in the Autumn of 2021.

The addition of glass to our kerbside recycling service will require changes tour vehicles but will be organised so that glass will be collected on the same day as other recyclable materials. A kerbside collection of glass will enable the number of glass banks at supermarkets and other sites which attract overflow waste of all types, to be reduced.  This is more cost effective, more convenient for residents and reduces litter.

Once it is rolled out to the whole city, the new service will save 1200 tonnes of Co2 emissions per year and should mean that the majority of our waste is recycled or composted instead of being sent to the energy from waste plant.