Decision details

The Executive Member for Community Safety and Environment submitted a report updating Members on the initial outcomes following the introduction of the Comingled Recycling Service (SPARC) and the proposed further measures to enhance recycling, the detail of which was set out in the report now submitted.

Members were provided with a presentation which set out the background to the drivers for change.  The Waste Services Manager advised that the Supplier Contractors had delivered more than 47,000 blue lidded bins and 25,000 inner paper boxes.  Veolia had delivered a further 1,260 bins and over 3,570 inner paper boxes with nearly 60% of residents opting for an inner paper box. 

It was noted that call volumes in the first three weeks had been three times the usual level and staff were praised for their efforts in handling the increase which, in the main, related to collection day changes and requests for containers.  The Waste Services Manager provided a summary of the comingled recycling tonnages achieved since the new service had been introduced, but was cautious regarding ongoing figures, given the fact that this was a new scheme and that figures reflected the Christmas period. 

The Waste Services Manager commented that increased satisfaction levels with residents about the comingled service were encouraging and summarised the proposals to extend the service to communal properties including flats.

The Waste Services Manager referred to the need to remove soft plastics from the blue lidded bins and that a 5p ‘bag tax’ was due to be introduced by the Government in August 2014.  He also referred to the need to ensure that plastic bags were reused and disposed of properly.  He commented that food waste capture was low considering how much of the waste in the black bin (30 – 33%) was food.  He added that the feedback from residents at roadshows was that using kitchen caddies could be “messy” and that not being able to use a starch caddy liner was seen as an inhibitor.  The Waste Services Manager referred to the need to use a specific type of compostable liner (with the “seedling” logo) for the caddies and ways of communicating this information to local residents.

Councillor J Wyllie praised Officers for the “good start”.  In response to his query about communicating the messages further, the Waste Services Manager provided a summary of how further changes would be disseminated to residents.  Councillor Wyllie was not in favour of “hangers” on the bins preferring instead, some form of sticker.  The Head of Environmental Services commented that the stickers had a tendency to become dirty and explained that the hangers were the most effective way of getting the message across to residents and these would provide further links to information, including websites and a waste services campaign.  Stickers were also used to let residents know if they were not putting their waste in the correct bin.

Councillor P Ballam was disappointed that shrink wrap could not be included in the bins for recycling adding that this would increase the black bin waste.

In response to queries from Councillor R Beeching regarding carrier bags going to landfill, soft plastics around food such as sandwiches and the provision of liners for kitchen caddies, the Head of Environmental Services stated that North Herts District Council had provided liners to residents for caddies which had cost the Council £100,000 to make two deliveries per year.  They no longer did this.  He said there was no difficulty obtaining the “seeding logo” compostable liners for kitchen caddies from local retail outlets.  With regard to the issue of the carrier bags, the Head of Environmental Services said that some were sent to the Edmonton Incineration Plant, but most went to landfill.  He explained the problems of pre-sorting out the carrier bags which was expensive, especially when many were contaminated with other non-recyclable waste.  The Head of Environmental Services stated that plastic sandwich boxes could be recycled in the blue lidded bins.

In response to a query from Councillor M Pope regarding recycling provision at schools and care homes, the Waste Service Manager explained that some schools already received a collection service but that care homes were classified as commercial/business premises.

Councillor P Ballam referred to the 5p ’bag tax’ to be imposed and stated that some shops (in Wales) had offered goods in a black bin bag to get around this.  She also referred to Charity Shops and their use of plastic bags.  The Waste Services Manager stated that the Council was awaiting detailed information on the 5p tax and how this would be applied.  He stated that in Wales and Ireland there had been an 80% reduction in the use of carrier bags.

Councillor C Rowley stated that the big supermarkets would be taxed, but the tax would not apply to smaller retailers or to retailers using biodegradable bags.  He further stated that retailers could choose whether to pass this tax onto customers or not.

The Chairman, on behalf of Members, thanked the Officers for their report and presentation. 

The Committee supported the proposals as now submitted.

RESOLVED – that the update setting out the successful implementation and performance of the Comingled Recycling Services (SPARC) be noted and that the Executive be advised that;

(A)      an extension of the service to as many communal properties as practically as possible, be supported;

(B)       a communication programme to remove soft plastics from the comingled mix, commencing by May 2014, be supported; and

(C)    a communication programme to promote the use of caddy liners to improve the capture of food waste, to be undertaken in line with (B) above, be supported.