Plans to extend town's recycling scheme binned

Plans to extend a kerbside recycling scheme have been put on hold due to a lack of facilities to process it.

Fareham Borough Council had hoped to boost its collections to include plastic trays, pots and tubs and glass.

But Hampshire County Council, which is responsible for waste disposal, first needs to build a new £50m facility.

If plastics were collected the authority would incur additional costs to dispose of the material via a third-party or it could choose to get rid of it as remedial waste.

The Simpler Recycling scheme is due to come into effect for all households in England from 31 March 2026.

The government initiative aims to make recycling more straight forward by standardising waste collection and introducing separate streams for recyclable materials.

Hampshire County Council needs to build a new materials recovery facility (MRF).

More than £50m is being spent on a new MRF at Chickenhall Lane in Eastleigh and repurposing a site in Portsmouth, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Despite the legal requirement, Defra has agreed to delay the start date in Hampshire to 2027.

The delay means council officers have recommended no change to dry recycling collections is made by Fareham Borough Council until the new MRF is operational.

The authority says plans for kerbside food recycling are progressing well.

Defra says the council needs to publish a simpler recycling compliance timeline.

A new 12-month temporary post will be set up to help residents in Fareham with their recycling.

Councillor Sarah Ward said: "More engagement with residents means there are better recycling outcomes."

Additional glass collection points were also recommended for approval on council land before 30 March 2026.

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