Recently the Liberal Democrat Administration approved the expansion of glass kerbside recycling collections to include glass waste, dependent on the requirements of a new government bill.

Portsmouth Labour and Labour Councillors have long pushed and campaigned for this service to come to the city, to put our recycling services on a par with other nearby cities, such as Southampton and Brighton & Hove.

Portsmouth is ranked among the worst councils for recycling in the country. During 2018-2019, we recycled just 25.5% of our waste – well below England’s household average waste recycling rate of 45%.

These moves towards expanded local recycling services are to be welcomed and Portsmouth Labour is proud to have played our part in continuing to push the council to take more radical and urgent measures to address the climate crisis.

The Environment Bill is on track to become law in Autumn 2021 and it is expected to increase recycling requirements for all local authorities. It will outline how the government plans to reduce waste and make better use of resources, among other policies aimed at transforming the environment.

It’s important to add that while the Liberal Democrat Administration have agreed to progress plans for glass kerbside collection for Portsmouth, the move will be dependent on the outcome of the new Environment Bill, and the approval of a new waste facility to handle the recycled waste.

Cllr Charlotte Gerada, Labour Spokesperson for Climate Change and Green Recovery said:

“The move by the Liberal Democrat Administration to introduce glass kerbside recycling collection is very much welcome and something Portsmouth Labour has long campaigned for.

“We’re proud to be actively campaigning locally for climate justice and challenging decision makers to respond more urgently to the environmental crisis. Portsmouth should be leading the way in responding to the climate and ecological emergency, being ambitious and proactive about achieving a net zero carbon future and reducing pollution and waste in our city.”