FOI request (FOIR-846181181)

Recycling

Requested Wed 10 June 2026
Responded Fri 10 July 2026

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Response

 

Please find attached as requested a breakdown of the information required, where applicable, to Hastings Borough Council.

1. Household recycling contamination rates 

Please provide the average contamination rate of household recycling collections, expressed as a percentage by weight, for each of the following financial years: 

·         2022/23 – 2.54%

·         2023/24 – 2.18%

·         2024/25 – 2.24%

Answer: We collect recycling co-mingled. As we are a waste collection authority, the Waste Disposal Authority will be able to provide this information. This is East Sussex County Council:

Make a Freedom of Information request | East Sussex County Council

Home - East Sussex County Council | East Sussex County Council

I have been able to extract this data from the WasteDataFlow - Local Authority waste management - National Data Library and this may be of assistance.

2. Tonnage rejected due to contamination 

Please provide the estimated tonnage of household recycling rejected or sent to residual waste disposal due to contamination in each of the following financial years: 

·             2022/23 – 673.56

·             2023/24 – 602.43                                                                                                                                                          · 2024/25 – 637.43 

 Answer: as per question 1

Make a Freedom of Information request | East Sussex County Council

3. Recycling enforcement capacity 

      a. Does your authority employ officers or teams with responsibility for checking household waste and recycling bins for misuse or contamination? 

 

      b. If yes, please provide: 

·             The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff dedicated to this function, for each financial year from 2022/23 to 2024/25 

·             The total budget allocated to recycling enforcement activity for each of those years

 Answer: Household waste and recycling bins are checked for misuse or contamination by the contractor Biffa 

4. Civil penalties for incorrect recycling 

       Please provide the number of fixed penalty notices or civil enforcement fines issued to householders for incorrect recycling or waste separation, and the total amount of monies generated from those fines, for each of the following financial years: 

·             2016/17 

·             2017/18 

·             2018/19 

·             2019/20 

·             2020/21 

·             2021/22 

·             2022/23 

·             2023/24 

·             2024/25 (or the latest available estimate if final data has not yet been published) 

Answer: Hastings Borough Council does not charge residents for disposing of contaminated recycling, the bin is not collected.

5. Simpler Recycling legislation compliance 

      a. Is your authority currently operating in compliance with the Simpler Recycling regulations (as introduced under the Environment Act 2021)? 

 Answer: Yes

      b. If not yet compliant, what is your authority's planned implementation date? 

Answer: N/A 

      c. If your authority intends to apply for a deferral or has already done so, please confirm the reason and the current status off that application. 

Answer: N/A

 

Additional information is available through the WasteDataFlow Website at WasteDataFlow Waste Management and if you are not already registered you can register here.

 

There is also further information available on the WRAP LA Portal website for Local Authorities.

 

For English local authorities, past years' data can be downloaded from data.gov.uk and Local authority collected waste statistics in the UK: Recycling explainer, 2024/25 - GOV.UK

 

Please also find attached data we have been able to extract for Hastings Borough Council.

Attachments

• FOIR-846181181_FOIR-846181181_1-FOI846181181.xlsx