Agenda item

To consider the proposed waste and recycling collection policy.

The Panel received a report on the Waste and Recycling Collection Policy from the Projects and Performance Manager. The main points highlighted from the presentation were as follows:

·       Development of the Waste and Recycling Strategy had taken place over two years, following the publication of the 2018 National Waste Strategy and the subsequent Government consultations of 2019 and 2021.

·       Research had been carried out with various consultees, other authorities and NFDC residents throughout the development process.

·       NFDC is a waste collection authority and works alongside Hampshire County Council to facilitate the disposal of waste and the processing of recycling. Therefore, the methods of disposal must work in cohesion with the proposed collection policies. Due to this, a waste collection policy had been created following the approval of the NFDC Waste Strategy last year.

·       The new collection system required significant investment, particularly in terms of infrastructure and a new material recovery facility is being developed to enable the sorting of recyclable materials.

·       The core aspects of the collection policy will be implemented in 2025, in line with the timeframes for the new material recovery facility.

·       Garden Waste collections are not reliant on the new infrastructure and therefore can be brought forward, with the change to the wheeled bin service underway at present.

·       Many of the existing aspects of the collection service will remain, such as assisted collections for those households where it is required. Households who need assisted collections will be able to request this, and in order to support this process, among others, new administrative systems will be put in place along with a change in working practices. These methods will all seek to improve the service as a whole, maximising collection efficiency, health and safety of the collection operatives and the environmental benefits.

·       As NFDC has been one of the last local authorities nationwide to move to a wheeled bin service, there is a lot of guidance, best-practice and experience that the Council has been able to draw upon in developing the collection policy, enabling the policy itself to be strong and clear.

·       The wheeled bins will be produced from recycled materials and, for example, the Garden Waste bin will contain roughly 95% recycled polymer.

·       Advice would be issued to households with additional waste collection needs, such as those who require the collection of medical waste.

·       In combination to the collection policy, a waste reduction plan will promote the prevention and reduction of waste, and engagement activities will ensure that residents are informed on what they can and can’t recycle. The aim of this strategy is to improve the environmental impacts by reducing waste.

·       At present, approximately 72 plastic bags per household are provided by the Council. The use of wheeled bins would see the level of plastic use drop over time.

·       The Council has carefully implemented a vehicle programme over time so as to ensure that no vehicles that would be rendered obsolete by the new collection service had been bought. In terms of the Garden Waste service, existing vehicles would be retrofitted to meet the requirements of the wheeled-bin collections.

·       Food Waste wood be delivered to the current NFDC transfer stations (provided by Hampshire County Council), before moving to an anaerobic digestion facility in Hampshire or the surrounding area.

RESOLVED:

That the Panel recommend to Cabinet the adoption of the proposed waste and recycling collection policy and new garden waste terms and conditions for the roll-out of new collection services as set out in the Waste Strategy 2022-2027.