IT is a “travesty” that two parishes still do not offer a household recycling service, the Infrastructure Minister has said.
Constable Andy Jehan made the comment about Grouville and St Clement during a recent hearing with the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel where he provided an update on St Martin’s recent launch of a kerbside recycling scheme.
He said 2026 will mark two decades since St John launched its recycling practice – becoming the first parish to do so. He added that this makes the outstanding parishes lack of services the more profound.
“I’m fully aware that two parishes still don’t offer kerbside recycling, which I think is a travesty,” Mr Jehan said. “I would love to see all of the parishes have a uniform recycling.”
Piers Tharme, a senior operations manager at La Collette, explained that although he has engaged in a number of discussions with the two outstanding parishes, there remains no incentive for them to offer a recycling collection.
Mr Tharme did however add that the Infrastructure and Environment Departments are in the process of updating the Island’s Solid Waste Strategy, which may see certain conditions change.
The report should be published in the first quarter of 2026, he said.
While all parishes do offer a glass recycling service, Mr Tharme added that he’d like to see kerbside collections “pushed with the [remaining] parishes”.
“We need to reconsider how we recycle our waste,” he said. “Updating the waste strategy will mean steady change but we need to understand what’s achievable.”
Asked why his parish had yet to launch its own kerbside service, Grouville Constable Mark Labey said certain “conditions” such as contractor availability and use of diesel-powered refused vehicles have been “a barrier” for his parish.
Mr Labey said if a contractor could offer a service using electric vehicles or those using renewable fuels, he would include them on a “very small list” of options that could be tabled to a parish assembly next year.
St Clement Constable Marcus Troy, has not responded to requests for comment.
FACT BOX
When timeline of parish recycling:
- St John – 2006
- Trinity – 2009
- St Mary – 2009
- St Lawrence – 2009
- St Helier – 2012
- St Brelade – 2016
- St Saviour – 2019
- St Peter – 2019
- St Ouen – 2023
- St Martin – 2025
