Agenda item

To consider the Flats Recycling Service report to be considered by the Executive on 13 September 2018, and to offer any comments to support the Executive’s consideration of the report.

To consider any Advance Questions submitted.

The Committee considered the Flats Recycling Service report to be considered by the Executive, in advance of its consideration at the Executive meeting of 13 September 2018. It was noted that the Committee was pleased to be able to offer pre-scrutiny support of the report.

The report was identified to lay out the Council’s approach to offering enhanced kerbside recycling to flats and communal properties in the borough. The report identified that this would be conducted as a phased approach, with initial service implementation for properties requiring minimal alteration and planning for and subsequent roll out to additional properties requiring some supporting actions.

The Committee considered and discussed the report, and there were a number of questions and comments relating to the following topics:

·         The extent of and timescale for service provision. It was identified that the recommendations of the report referred to phases 1 and 2, but that there was mention in the body of the report to a phase 3 (including in the ‘Options’ section, including paragraphs 15 to 18). It was identified that phases 1 and 2 would provide the service to those properties requiring either minimal or relatively minor alteration, and that there would be a remaining number of properties which would require more significant adjustments or investment by managing agents or landlords in order to allow for inclusion in the service.

A query was raised regarding when properties not included in phases 1 and 2 might expect to receive the service, and if the proposed actions were equally supportive of residents in the properties not included in those phases.

It was noted that clarification regarding the proposed approach to the outstanding properties, options, and references to phase 3 would be confirmed for the Executive’s consideration of the report.

·         Costs. It was identified that the expansion of the service would incur additional capital and revenue costs, due to the requirement for additional bins, collection rounds and supporting officers. It was identified that the reduction in landfill costs would not present a significant counterbalancing saving.

·         Contamination of recycling. It was identified that contamination of waste was a significant potential risk, and that contaminated waste both reduced the environmental benefit obtained and incurred significant effective costs to the Council. It was identified that some of the potential properties to be served by the expanded service might be at additional risk of contamination, due to the likely required locations of bins. It was identified that some countermeasures were available, including manual checking by collection officers, but that these were also likely to incur additional costs and were not fully effective.

·         Flats Recycling Officer. It was identified that the recommendations included the employment of flats recycling officer to support the expanded arrangements.

·         New developments: It was identified that newly developed properties would be expected to be included in the expanded service, and that officers would seek to work with developers to ensure that the properties supported recycling arrangements.

·         Current recycling practices: It was identified that the borough’s current household waste recycling waste was 55%, above the national target of 50%, and placing the Council 36^th of 350 local authorities nationally, and that it was hoped that the introduction of the additional service would increase this. It was noted that the Council’s approach of collecting separated recyclates provided an increased financial return relative to non-separated collection. It was noted that the Council also offered a paper trade waste collection service.

Committee Members were generally supportive of the recommendations of the report. Cllr Essex indicated that he hoped the Council would commit to providing the service to all properties in the borough.

It was suggested that clarification be provided around the implementation phases and options, as identified in the notes of the discussion above.

RESOLVED that the Flats Recycling Service report, and the Committee’s comments to support the Executive’s consideration of the report, be noted.