Issue - meetings

(Head of Environmental Services to attend meeting)

The Board considered the briefing paper which had been put together following queries raised by Members when they had held an informal meeting to consider the Draft Climate Change Strategy.

Members were concerned at the high rejection rate at the recycling plant and asked what had caused this.  The Head of Environmental Services advised this was due to plant failure and not contamination. As it was a new plant, during the commissioning phase it was found that the “screening bed” was allowing too much material through too early in the process.  This had been replaced and the rejection rate was now just over 10% (rather than the 22% reported) and this was expected to further reduce to about 5%.  The Council was working with Worcestershire County Council to reduce the contamination rate, although historically this was already quite low across the county.

Members discussed the following issues with the Head of Environmental Services:

• The proportion of garden waste and how the overall percentage figures were calculated.
• That 90% of green waste in Worcestershire was being recycled.
• Encouraging people to buy products which contained less packaging and how pressure could be put on Government to take this up with supermarkets for example.
• Promotion of positive information and statistics which related to the district.

The Head of Environmental Services advised Members that many of these issues were being taken up through the Joint Waste Forum, who were lobbying Government in respect of excess packaging and promoting the reduction in the tonnage of waste collected in Worcestershire. 

The Board asked the Head of Environmental Services what action was being taken in respect of the remainder of the waste produced.  He confirmed that this was removed by Severn Waste, who was then responsible for its reprocessing. The website, www.envirosort.co.uk provided useful information on this process.  It was also confirmed that the overall cost of recycling was less than the cost of landfill.  Members also discussed the trade waste that was created by the Council buildings and the Head of Environmental Services confirmed that currently this was dealt with by Lawrences of Stourport, who guaranteed to recycle 25% of the waste removed.  The disposal of trade waste was being reviewed and may be linked in with a contact being negotiated for Redditch Borough Council.

Members asked why residents living in flats were not provided with green bins and the Head of Environmental Services advised that a list of properties would be circulated shortly to Members where recycling facilities would be provided.  He also confirmed that this already happened at Redditch Borough Council and was quite successful.  The Council would also be working with Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) to look at collections from their properties and the infrastructure necessary to put this in place.