Agenda item

The Council’s published Waste Strategy “Working Towards Zero Waste” (as amended 2014) details a   number of strategic aims (see section 5 of this report) along with a key action to   review its waste & recycling collection methodology to limit the volumes of waste collected by 2020. In addition, the Council faces the following challenges;

·  to mitigate against the financial pressures forecast in the waste & recycling collection services taking into account the loss of the DCLG grant of £450k pa from March 2017;

·  the end of the Initial Term of the Recycling Services Contract with Kier on 5th November 2017 ;

·  to reduce the amount of recyclable waste that is currently presented as non-recyclable waste (recent analysis shows that 58% of the contents of our black bag waste collection is still material that could be recycled using our current service);

In addition, the Council has a priority of ‘promoting cleaner, greener and healthier communities’, which is supported by a number of the proposals within this report, including:

- continuing a weekly waste collection service for the majority of household waste, including food and recyclables;

- increasing recycling rates and prioritising sustainability & environmental performance in accordance with our waste strategy;

- reducing street waste and preventing access to waste by gulls and other scavengers.

The national recycling league table for 14/15 ranked B&NES 80 out of 353 local authorities in England.  The majority of B&NES residents embrace recycling, and our performance has previously been at the forefront in the UK, however in recent years our recycling performance has plateaued.  This can be directly attributed to the fact that we have not evolved our collection services to incentivise further recycling by restricting the amount of non-recyclable waste collected.  Various collection options have been modelled by the Council to help improve performance, and recommendations are made as to the approach which most closely meets objectives.

Councillor Dine Romero made an ad-hoc statement by expressing her concerns on potential increase in Anti-Social Behaviour; on reduced hours of operation for recycling sites; on consultation; and that wheeled bins would not be suitable for some areas across the authority.  Councillor Romero suggested that the Communities Transport and Environment PDS Panel should be more involved and also that the Council should run a pilot scheme to test effectiveness of wheeled bins.

Councillor Martin Veal said that the Cabinet were asked to implement in 2017, following a period of public engagement, a new waste & recycling collection service using tried and tested methodology, which would prioritise a weekly recycling service and most closely would meet the Council’s objectives detailed within the Waste Strategy.  Councillor Veal also said that current methods of waste collection did not encourage residents to maximise recycling, and had contributed negatively to street cleansing issues.  In the current financial climate, with the ending of central government funding subsidising our collection service, the Council must assess alternative options to keep the service affordable, and to meet objectives to recycle as much waste as possible whilst reducing litter on our streets.

Councillor Martin Veal moved the recommendations.

Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones seconded the motion and said that the Council would be working with much more emphasis towards recycling, aiming to recycle 80-90% of waste.  Councillor Anketell-Jones also emphasised the importance of public engagement.

Councillor Charles Gerrish welcomed the introduction of wheeled bins so that waste could be stored and presented safely for collection, whilst also being better protected from gulls and other scavengers to reduce problems with littering.  Councillor Gerrish also said that the Council would need to improve residents’ education on recycling food waste.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet decided:

1)  To implement in 2017, following a period of public engagement, a new waste & recycling collection service using tried and tested methodology, which prioritises a weekly recycling service and most closely meets the Council’s objectives detailed within the Waste Strategy.

2)  To ensure the retention of a weekly collection service, continuing to deliver one of the most comprehensive recycling services in the UK which includes the following items:

·  Food waste

·  Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

·  Glass

·  Paper and cardboard

·  Aluminium and steel cans

·  Aerosols

·  Foil

·  Tetrapaks

·  Textiles

·  Batteries

·  Small electrical and electronic items

·  Spectacles/mobile phones/used engine oil.

3)  To provide residents with additional recycling containers (lidded green boxes and lockable food waste containers) as required, to enable easy storage and collection of this material. To clearly mark the boxes so it is easy to understand what can be collected.

4)  To phase out the current blue bag for cardboard over time, and replace with a recycling box to help with storage and collection for residents.

5)  To continue with the opt-in fortnightly garden waste recycling service.

6)  To collect the small amount of non-recyclable waste that remains after all of these materials are recycled, every other week (detailed in section 6) in containers provided by the Council.

7)  To issue residents with a wheeled bin (at properties that can accommodate them), so that waste can be stored and presented safely for collection, whilst also being better protected from gulls and other scavengers to reduce problems with littering.

8)  To issue all other properties (those which are unable to accommodate a wheeled bin, or are within an area deemed unsuitable for wheeled bins) with reusable, durable and pest-proof rubbish bags (where practical) to help reduce street litter.

9)  To agree that the default size for wheeled bins should be 140 litres, whilst recognising that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not possible in a diverse district with a multitude of housing types, and to therefore instructthe Divisional Director of Environmental Services to work up alternative proposals that will enable households with larger families/ occupancies to request a larger bin, with the details and criteria of the scheme to be delegated to theDivisional Director of Environmental Service in consultation with the Cabinet member for Community Services.

10)To delegate and instruct the Divisional Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Cabinet member for Community Services, to enter negotiations for a short term extension (up to 2 years) to the recycling contract with Kier (pending site consolidation for the refuse and recycling services) - subject to agreement on the financial and staffing arrangements. Failing this agreement, the Divisional Director of Environmental Services are instructed to make arrangements to bring the kerbside recycling service in-house.

11)To agree that the Divisional Director of Environmental Services to carry out further detailed work into vehicle & plant replacement on the recommended option, and to report back to Cabinet members to enable decisions to be taken to release the capital required.

12)To agree a neutral budget movement through implementation of strategic review proposals initially highlighted within the Place Directorate Plan in November 2015.