Members of City of York Council's Executive will be asked to consider ten options to deal with the city's waste over the next seven years, at a meeting later this month (Tuesday, 9 October).

York's recycling and composting rate for 2006/07 -  40 per cent - already exceeds the city's target set by the government. However, these targets are set to rise dramatically over the next few years as the country tries to meet the international targets set by the European Landfill Directive. York must decide now how it plans to meet the new requirements.

In addition to the environmental impact of not dealing with the city's waste, collection authorities, such as York, are expected to face stiff financial penalties if they send more waste to landfill than the government believe they should. It's estimated that authorities will be charged £150 for every tonne of waste that they send to landfill over their target.

The council also has to respond to legislation set out in the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003, which requires that all waste collection authorities must provide a kerbside recycling service to all households for at least two materials by the end of 2010. The council currently provides a kerbside recycling service to 76,550 properties.

The council's waste team has prepared ten options to address the city's waste management - some in the short term, and others looking at a medium and long term approach. Members will be asked which options they would like to progress.

Options include:
- rolling out the kerbside recycling collection service for at least two materials to all households - 11,150 do not currently receive this full service

- developing the commercial waste collection service, including recycling for businesses and schools

- increase kerbside recycling participation and capture rate, by encouraging participation through awareness raising

Terry Collins, the council's director of Neighbourhood Services, said: "Local authorities across the country are facing huge pressures to reduce the amount of waste that they send to landfill. Residents in York have worked hard to achieve the current recycling rate of 40 per cent and we are grateful for their continued support.

"However, the council's government-set targets are will to increase dramatically over the next few years and we need to plan how we can meet these requirements now."

Between now and 2014, if the council did nothing further to manage the city's waste, it could cost the authority £13m in disposal costs. If some of the options to be discussed were adopted, this figure could be reduced to £9m.

Members will be asked to approve a number of recommendations, including agreeing to a new pilot recycling scheme in the Groves to test various methods of storage and collection, starting in April 2008, and to agree to the full roll out of recycling to terraced areas in April 2009.