Issue - meetings

That (A) the comments of Environment Scrutiny Committee be received;

(B)     the service is extended to as many communal properties as is practically possible;

(C)    a communication programme to remove soft plastics from the Comingled mix is commenced, with a view to removing the soft plastics by May 2014; and

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

The Executive Member for Community Safety and Environment submitted a report updating the Executive on the progress of the new comingled recycling service and proposing enhancements that would improve performance further.

The Executive noted that the successful introduction of the comingled service had improved satisfaction levels from 77% to 83% of residents.  The Executive Member proposed enhancements that would include extending the new service to communal properties, removing sift plastics from the comingled stream and increasing food waste capture.  He also proposed a communication programme that would help achieve these.

The Executive Member placed on record, his appreciation and congratulations to Officers for their efforts in securing the successful implementation of SPARC.

The Environment Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting held on 25 February 2014, had supported the proposals as now detailed.

In response to Members’ comments, the Executive noted the communications programme being proposed and that there were no financial implications arising from this report.

The Executive approved the proposals as now submitted.

RESOLVED - that (A) the comments of Environment Scrutiny Committee be received;

(B)      the service is extended to as many communal properties as is practically possible;

(C)      a communication programme to remove soft plastics from the Comingled mix is commenced, with a view to removing the soft plastics by May 2014; and

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

Members will also  receive a Presentation supporting the report.

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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 564