Issue - meetings

To consider a report presenting a draft Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan for approval.

Executive Councillor: Mrs M L Beuttell.

Cabinet approved the Council’s new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan.

Consideration was given to a report prepared by the Operations Manager for Waste and Recycling (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking approval of a new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan for the District Council.

In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Operations and Environment outlined the background to the development of the Strategy  which had been prepared to respond to the main challenges being faced by the Council’s Waste and Recycling Collection service and to set out the principles for the development of the service over the next three years.

Cabinet’s attention was drawn to the vision and objectives of the Strategy which were set out within the report, together with details of the improvements in performance and value for money which had been secured by the service in recent years. Huntingdonshire was a growing area and the Executive Councillor reiterated that the waste service must grow or adapt to absorb this growth.

In reviewing the comments which had been made by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Customers and Partnerships) at their meeting on 3rd December 2020, the Cabinet received an update on the current status of the Council’s contracts for recycling and waste disposal and the Executive Councillor also indicated that public awareness raising and education would form a key part of the action plan. The Cabinet were pleased to note that the Panel had commended the positive and proactive attitude of the Strategy in progressing the waste minimisation aims and objectives of the Council.

Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

that the Council’s new Waste Minimisation Strategy and Waste Minimisation Action Plan be approved.

The Waste Minimisation Strategy is to be presented to the Panel.

Consideration was given to a report by the Operations Manager for Waste and Recycling (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) in which the Waste Minimisation Strategy was presented to the Panel. In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Operations and Environment informed Members that there had been significant improvement in the waste service and that the main targets for the service were to achieve a reuse and recycling rate of 60% and to keep the contamination rate below 7%.

Councillor Smith questioned the focus on the contamination target of 7%, particularly as the current rate of contamination in the District was favourable when compared to the national average. In response, it was confirmed that the types of contamination that Officers have witnessed were entirely avoidable and with the appropriate measures and communications campaign, it was anticipated that the rate would decrease.

Following a query from Councillor Giles regarding the most common contamination materials found in the recycling bins throughout Huntingdonshire, it was confirmed that the most common were: textiles, black bags, food waste and sanitary products.

A question was asked by Councillor Wilson about commercial waste. In response, it was confirmed that the Strategy focussed solely upon domestic waste which, since the beginning of lockdown in March, had increased as residents adjusted to life at home.

The types of materials that the Council collected for recycling was raised by Councillor Smith. It was noted that the Council collected a significant number of different materials for recycling and that, if all recycling facilities were utilised, then residents would be able to recycle additional materials.

The Chairman asked whether there was tension between waste minimisation and alternative ways of disposing of waste such as waste incineration. Members were informed that the District Council was the collection authority and not the disposal authority. The disposal authority, Cambridgeshire County Council, currently had a lengthy and expensive waste disposal contract with a contractor, therefore discussions on alternative options in the disposing of waste were presently financially prohibitive.

In discussing the 60% reuse and recycle target, the Chairman asked what step, or steps, would need to be taken in order to exceed the target. In response, it was confirmed that the next significant step that had the greatest potential to increase recycling rates, would be the introduction of separate food waste collection. This was a service the Council may have to provide as it was expected that separate food waste collections were to be mandatory throughout England next year. Members were reassured that Officers had modelled the introduction of separate food waste collections within the District and consequently the Council was aware of the approximate costs of introducing and running the service. Further to this, Members were informed that food waste was the Council’s biggest contaminate and had been previously found in the recycling and general waste bins.

In addition to the discussion on food waste contamination, Members were informed that, in addition to food waste contaminating the recycling bins, up  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29