The report summarises the 17th iteration of the annual gate fees survey, which captures gate fees charged to local authorities across the UK for MRFs, in-vessel composting (IVC), anaerobic digestion (AD), energy from waste (EfW) and non-hazardous landfill facilities. The report aims to increase the transparency of gate fees and thus improve efficiency in the waste management market.
The 2023/24 survey was sent to all waste disposal authorities, waste collection authorities, unitary authorities and joint waste authorities in the UK and responses were received from, or on behalf of, 67% of local authorities. The response rate varied by UK nation and disposal/treatment route, with Northern Ireland and MRFs having the highest response rates respectively.
For food waste treated at AD, the survey reveals an increase in the median gate fee charged, from £13 per tonne in 2022/23 to £20 per tonne. The cost to reprocess mixed food and garden waste via IVC also rose, from £54 per tonne in 2022/23 to £71 per tonne. But the cost of reprocessing garden waste only at IVC reduced from £79 per tonne in 2022/23 to £54 per tonne.