PROJECTIONS as to how much recycling could have been achieved through kerbside collections should have included the potential of commercial premises, the Chamber of Commerce has claimed.

Ahead of this week’s States debate, which will see the Public Services Department recommend to the House not to pursue household kerbside recycling collections, the business body said it was dismayed to learn at a public meeting on the issue last week that the study undertaken by the department for kerbside collection had not included commercial premises.

‘Chamber is aware that PSD has approached some commercial owners in St Peter Port to review the collection of waste and recyclables, but Chamber would have hoped this could have been integrated into the general kerbside collection debate as commercial premises currently pay for the segregation and collection of their waste,’ said Graham Basham (pictured), who heads Chamber’s energy, waste and recycling sub-group.

‘This could perhaps have helped towards the costs considered and made collection more viable in the more densely populated areas, as well as going further to achieving the targets set by PSD for recycling generally.’

Former Environment minister Deputy David De Lisle is to bring an amendment to the issue, however, which will direct the department to adopt a kerbside scheme for the collection of dry recyclables as soon as possible and on an island-wide basis.