Results - Let's Talk Rubbish

Let's Talk Rubbish survey results

Some 10,475 responses were received for Let’s Talk Rubbish - this is the largest response received to a Let’s Talk survey so far.

As part of the ten week consultation, there were more than 500 face to face conversations with members of the public, which were also included as part of the analysis and results within the consultation report.

Nearly nine-in-ten (87%) people say it is very important (61%) or important (26%) that North Yorkshire residents have access to an equal recycling service. Only 3% say this is not very important (2%) or unimportant (1%).

The council put forward a proposal to improve recycling services in North Yorkshire based on the current recycling model used in Selby (using two wheelie bins: one for glass, cans and plastics, and one for paper and cardboard, with alternating fortnightly collections).

Comments showed positive support for the proposal although there were also some concerns.

When the comments were assessed based on the tone and content of the responses, a majority (51%) of the comments were positive, while nearly one-third (32%) were negative and 17% were neutral.

Key themes include support for modernising collections with more space in bins to make recycling easier, reducing litter, the practicality of additional bins, the frequency of collections, and the potential for confusion among residents.

More than nine out of ten people say they use their kerbside recycling collection service every time (84%) or most of the time (8%), and the survey results show most people are very happy or happy with the council’s recycling services.

People using wheelie bins are much more likely to be very happy or happy with their container type and size of container, than those using boxes or bags.

To read the full report on the Let’s Talk Rubbish survey go to the North Yorkshire Council website, Let's Talk page.

What happens next?

The feedback from the Let’s Talk Rubbish survey will be used to inform future recycling collection services.

North Yorkshire Council’s members will be asked to approve plans to introduce two wheelie bins for recycling for most residents across the county at the full council meeting in February 2025.