Calderdale recycling funding could be cut as councils clawback cash

A household waste processing facility could close permanently in a bid to save money as the stark reality of public finances hits home.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet will meet next week to discuss the future of the Elland household waste and recycling centre on Huddersfield Road, close to Halifax. If implemented, the closure could see the authority boost its current budget by around £180,000 annually. 

The plan has been tabled in the past, with advocates arguing the site is close enough to other similar facilities and is therefore surplus to requirements. Critics hit back, contesting that this would lead to heavier traffic on routes to alternative waste centres, bigger queues to once there and more fly-tipping across the borough. 

However, Labour-run Calderdale Council may also consider an alternative measure – closing all five of its recycling centres for two days a week. The proposal, made by Liberal Democrat councillors in a bid to safeguard access and local provision in the area, would mean at least one site was open every day, with the regime implemented from autumn this year. 

While authorities across the UK are currently contending with incredible financial pressures, Calderdale’s announcement comes as data from the UN’s Global E-Waste Monitor shows just 30% of electronic waste produced in Great Britain is recycled annually, significantly less than many of European counterparts. Meanwhile, the rates for general household waste are only marginally higher, with 43.4% in England, 49.2% in Northern Ireland, 56.9% in Wales and 42.1% in Scotland finding its way into the circular economy. 

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Image: John Cameron via Unsplash