Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Executive Councillor (Public Realm)

This report provides the Executive with an understanding of what further improvements the Council can make to its waste strategy to ensure that we maintain and improve our performance and financial advantage.

The Executive is asked to:

·         approve strengthening and reinforcing the ‘Right Thing, Right Bin’ communication programme that supports the promotion of changing resident’s recycling behaviour;

·         approve replacing the white sack with a weighted sack for the storage / collection of pulpables;

·         determine the methodology for recovering unauthorised black bins;

·         approve the methodology for reducing excess waste at properties that are not suitable for wheeled containers;

·         approve the introduction of dry recycling services to rural properties;

·         approve the amendment to section 16 of the Recycling & Refuse Collections policy as set out at paragraph 5.5, and

·         determine the new level of fines for Section 46, as set out at paragraph 6.5.

Officer contact: Megan Black, 0161 218 1410, megan.black@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Executive Councillors (Public Realm) and (Sustainable Future) was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider proposed amendments to the Waste Strategy to ensure that the Council can maintain its performance in relation to increasing recycling and reducing residual waste.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to

·         strengthening and reinforcing the ‘Right Thing, Right Bin’ communication programme to supports the promotion of changing resident’s recycling behaviour;

·         the replacement of the white sack with a weighted sack for the storage / collection of pulpables;

·         the methodology set out in Option B (Give option to authorise containers) for recovering unauthorised black bins;

·         the methodology as detailed in the report for reducing excess waste at properties that were not suitable for wheeled containers;

·         the introduction of dry recycling services to rural properties;

·         the amendment to section 16 of the Recycling & Refuse Collections policy in relation to missed collections as set out at paragraph 5.5 of the report;

·         the new level of fines for Section 46 offences, as set out at paragraph 6.5 of the report.

To consider a report of the Service Director (Place Management)

This report provides the Scrutiny Committee with an understanding of what further improvements the Council can make to its waste strategy to ensure that the Council maintains and improves its performance and financial advantage.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its consideration by the Executive.

Officer contact: Megan Black on 0161 218 1410 or e mail: megan.black@stockport.gov.uk.

The Service Director (Place Management) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which provided the Scrutiny Committee with an understanding of what further improvements the Council could make to its waste strategy in order to ensure that the Council maintained and improved its performance and financial advantage. As other waste collection authorities in  Greater Manchester started to improve their performance on recycling (which they were now doing), then the Council’s share of the disposal costs would increase unless it continued to improve.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

•           The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) had stated that Stockport could have a recycling rate in excess of 70% if it could capture all of the recyclates that were found in the black bins.

•           The GMWDA’s bid to the European Commission’s  Environment LIFE + funding stream.

•           The Executive portfolio under which the Waste Strategy fell.

•           It was requested that the recovery of unauthorised black bins and it was requested that this be undertaken with a ‘light touch’.

•           Support was given for Option B with regard to the recovery of unauthorised black bins – ‘Give Option to authorise containers’. Under this option a letter and an application form for additional capacity would be posted asking the resident to apply for a container and complete a waste diary within 21 days or the container would be removed.

•           It was pointed out that a significant proportion of unauthorised bins were believed to have been obtained by theft.

•           How much additional waste was caused by the cessation of the ‘yellow bag’ service and the collection of clinical waste now being carried out by NHS Stockport.

•           The percentage of properties in the borough that currently had recycling facilities and the timescale for providing all flats with recycling facilities.

•           Although important to the residents involved, a very small percentage of collections were missed – for example, 600 out of the 1.1 million collections in May. It would be costly for the vehicles to immediately return to properties where collections had been missed.

•           The evidence from the WDA was that the amount of waste presented at the Household Waste Recycling Centres in the borough had not increased since the Council introduced its new waste collection system.

•           Reductions in landfill arising from the mechanical biological treatment plant at the Bredbury Household Waste Recycling Centre. Members praised the visit to the facilities which had been undertaken in August this year.

•           The continuing need to educate and raise residents’ awareness of the importance of recycling was raised, as well as what items could be recycled.

•           A Member expressed concern with regard to the proposed amendment to Section 16 of the Recycling and Refuse Collections Policy, as follows:-           

 ‘Where a container has been presented correctly and has not been collected by 18.00 hours on the scheduled collection day then if the Council is notified of the mistake within three working days of the scheduled collection it will be dealt with the next week when the collection crews are back in the area. The Head of Service has discretion in considering extenuating circumstances.’

It was pointed out that under the present policy the Council received very few telephone calls before 1.00pm from residents whose bins had not been collected.

It was then

MOVED AND SECONDED

That the Executive Meeting be advised that this Scrutiny Committee recommends that the penultimate bullet point in paragraph 7.1 in the recommendations in the report to the Executive Meeting be deleted, namely ‘Approve the amendment to Section 16 of the Recycling & Refuse Collections policy, as set out at paragraph 5.5’.

For the motion 3, against 4

MOTION NOT CARRIED

It was then

RESOLVED –That the report be noted and the Scrutiny Committee’s comments reported to the Executive Meeting on 12 November 2012.