A SCHEME whereby Islanders would be charged for throwing away non-recyclable rubbish is being considered by government, the Infrastructure Minister has said.
In 2019, Guernsey fully introduced a “pay-as-you-throw” initiative which sees households have to include paid-for stickers on every sack of rubbish left out for collection, with failing to have a sticker leading to a fine.
And Constable Andy Jehan said that, in his personal view, Jersey following its neighbour in offering free kerbside collection for recycling and food waste, balanced by charging per bag for general waste, was a good idea.
According to the latest figures, almost 70% of household waste was recycled, reused or composted in Guernsey compared to just 35% in Jersey.
Mr Jehan was responding to a recently published paper by thinktank Policy Centre Jersey, which concluded that the government would soon have to decide on whether it replaced the La Collette Energy Recovery Facility, which is due to reach the end of its life in 2036, or “radically change” the Island’s recycling infrastructure.
The Constable said: “We are certainly looking as Pay As You Throw: I went to Guernsey earlier this year and I was impressed with the setup there.
“In my opinion, rather than any official view, I would like to roll out Pay As You Throw but we need to encourage not just recycling but also reducing and reusing, which is even more important.
“I think everyone would agree that we need to do better. We have had parish kerbside recycling since 2006 but three parishes are yet to provide that service, with one of them starting in November. Do we need weekly collections if we are recycling more? We could perhaps move to fortnightly.
“We need a strategy in place before we make any firm decisions, including the fate of the Energy Recovery Facility. I hope that this will be finished this political term.
“It is important to remember that the plant produces energy and therefore revenue for the government.”
Mr Jehan said that many other places were ahead of Jersey when it came to recycling, although he praised the “terrific” setup and team at the Household Recycling Centre at La Collette.
He added that, in addition to Guernsey, another system to look at was in Ireland.
There, when you buy a drink in a container with a special logo and barcode, you are charged a small refundable deposit, which you claim back by returning the empty container. Most drinks containers between 150ml and 3 litres in size, such as bottles, cans and tins made from plastic, aluminium or steel can be returned.
In 2024, Guernsey generated 118 kg per capita of general household waste, while Jersey produced 348 kg per capita.
Guernsey’s waste strategy lost millions in its first year, as many households moved to recycling the majority of their rubbish rather than paying to dispose of black bags. This prompted then States Trading Supervisory Board president Deputy Peter Ferbrache to warn that the scheme had been too successful and that other charging models may need to be implemented.
Policy Centre Jersey said that the Guernsey “transformation” in recycling rates – which began when the Pay As You Throw system was introduced in 2019 – offered “compelling lessons” for Jersey.
It continued: “Learning from Guernsey suggests clear pathways forward. A unified, Islandwide kerbside recycling methodology would assist everyone, particularly those without vehicles, while reducing emissions from recycling centre trips.
“Guernsey has decommissioned all its parish bring banks. Though PAYT might prove too radical for Jersey currently, evidence demonstrates that charging for general waste while keeping recycling free significantly alters behaviour patterns.”
