One of the challenges facing local authorities' waste management services is the legislative requirement to collect dry mixed recycling from households – while relying solely on the private sector to manage the processing, commodity sale and residual disposal.

In doing this, councils accept a number of risks without the ability to manage them. Chief among these are the escalating treatment costs, general uncertainty in the marketplace regarding the future of waste strategy, instability and short-term commitments in commodity offtake and the ever-evolving dynamics of consumer habits.