Issue - meetings

The Head of Environment and Public Realm presented a report on the review of Waste Strategy 2014-2019.

The Committee noted that the Council adopted its second 5 year waste strategic in 2014 with the objective to provide services which focussed on waste reduction, reuse and recycling.  The recycling rate was reviewed last year and was reduced from 60% to 55% by 2019.

It was noted that over the past 12 months the recycling rate had increased to 49.9% from 47.79%.  However, despite the recent successes of various food waste collection campaigns including the ‘No Food Waste’ stickers being placed on refuse bins, which had resulted in a 28% increase in the amount of food waste recycled, it was clear that the Council would not be able to achieve a 55% recycling rate by 2018/19 by engagement alone as it would require a substantial service change to achieve the targets as set out in the current Waste Strategy.

The Head of Environment and Public Realm therefore proposed that a new Waste Strategy for 2018 – 2023 be prepared and presented to the Committee for approval by April 2018.  In order to achieve this it was recommended that a workshop be held in September/October which would be open to all Members (and be mandatory for Members of the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee).

In response to questions from Members, the Head of Environment and Public Realm advised that:-

·  Whilst there was merit in setting up a Working Group, it was thought more beneficial to hold a Workshop in the first instance in order that experts in the field could be brought in to inform Members. 

·  An operative from Biffa be requested to attend the Workshop to give their perspective.

·  There was a problem of contaminated bins where residents or carers of those residents were not familiar with what goes in which bin.  A similar problem was evident where there were communal bins. The Waste Team would be working on a wider communications campaign to address the issue.

RESOLVED:-

1.  That the progress made so far against the objectives set out in the
  Waste Strategy 2014-2019 be noted.

2.  That the current Waste Strategy 2014-19 no longer delivers the Council’s ambition for its Waste and Recycling Services and that a new Waste Strategy for 2018-23 would be prepared and presented to the Committee by April 2018.

3.  That a workshop be held in September/October for all Members and to be mandatory for the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee to shape the new Strategy and determine the level of ambition, investment and appetite for bold service changes.

Voting:  For:  unanimous