Issue - meetings

A report is attached. There will also be a verbal update at the meeting.

Pam Jones - Interim Project Manager, Environmental Services introduced the report. She explained that this is an early report on emerging themes and wanted to hear the Panel’s comments on compulsory recycling. She added that she had been working closely with the Corporate and Community Sustainability Manager.

Panel members asked the following questions and raised the following points:

Councillor Hirst raised the following points:

·  He has concerns around the closure of the Midland Road Site. It would not be appropriate to move it to Oddown due to the busy road.

·  Anxious about compulsory recycling as we are managing recycling well so would making it compulsory make enough of a difference?

·  Worried about vulnerable people – a draconian approach may cause stress. The nudge approach is better.

·  Excited about growing the reuse and repair group. They could drop in on ward meetings.

The officer explained that we have a 58% success rate regarding recycling, but we have run out of things to do to improve this. Around 20% of residents do not recycle. Making it compulsory might mean we can jump from 58% to 61%. This move would not be based around just fines, it would be mainly about education.

Councillor Bromley stated the current system for recycling in BANES is complex, maybe you could make the benefits of this system clearer and incentivise rather than punish.

Councillor Wood, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services explained that some counter education is needed, some people believe the Council puts all the collected recycling into landfill. The officer explained that the Government 2023 Strategy will set out how Council’s should get rid of waste, we aligned with this already. We need to work on putting out the message that recycling is helping with the Climate Emergency agenda – the environmental benefits are the equivalent of taking cars of the road.

Councillor Johnson made the following points:

·  Recycling should be made compulsory and BANES should push to be the best authority on this.

·  Charges for garden waste may disincentivise people.

·  To what extent will the Council’s actions be superseded by the Government Waste and Recycling Strategy?

·  Can the Council act over people having fires in their garden?

The officer responded that the Council’s plans are aligned with the Government’s Strategy. There is a need to help support people to compost more waste. There is a proposal in the Strategy that garden waste should be made free. Councillor Crossley, Cabinet Member Community Services explained that he disagreed with this in that some people do not have gardens. He stated that he thought the community initiatives in the report such as street champions and volunteers was a good idea as local people might get a better response than Council advice. Councillor Crossley added that the Government should give Council’s the responsibility to pick up business recycling and litter and it should be made illegal to pack things with polystyrene.

Councillor O Brien stated (regarding the Waste Strategy) that there are a number of homes such as flats  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50