To receive and discuss the presentation of Dean Sargeant (Director: Neighbourhood and Enforcement Services) and Debbie Germany (Service Delivery Manager: Strategic Waste & Neighbourhood Services Performance).
Councillor Lee Carter (Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and Regeneration) will also attend for this item.
Minutes:
The Director: Neighbourhood and Enforcement
Services provided a brief overview of on street waste receptacles
in the Borough.
Members heard that the Authority had looked to learn from other
Local Authorities, and had identified that any recycling
litter bin would have to be a standalone
bin so that any visitor could identify and use it and should be
co-located next to a regular waste bin for ease of use. The bins
would need to be conveniently located, in high footfall locations.
There were a number of recycling bins in the Town Park as well as
one in Wellington and a container in Newport, on trial with the
Town Council.
On the design of litter bins, lidded
bins were deemed a fire risk and inaccessible for some people with
disabilities.
The Authority had also been trialling the separation of litter in
Woodside, and it was noted that out of
the litter collected 30% was recyclable. The Council weighed the
litter and worked with Veolia on recycling it. The Council would be
looking to expand the trial.
Officers noted among the things to consider on introducing
recycling bins would be reducing contamination, promoting the
benefits of using the bins, monitoring, and the one off costs of
the containers themselves.
The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood, Commercial Services and
Regeneration expressed the Cabinet’s openness to innovation.
Members were assured that Cabinet wish
to continue with the positive steps already made in recycling in
the Borough.
A debate ensued and Members posed a number of questions:
Was there anything the Council could do to work more closely
with brands that contribute to the litter problem (e.g. fast food
outlets)?
The Government had launched proposals on how
to reduce the use of materials that could not be recycled, such as
taxation. The Cabinet would continue to
feed back to the Committee on any information that was received.
The Council wrote to all fast food outlets ahead of reopening after
the lockdown. Nonetheless, litter from such outlets began to appear
soon after their reopening. The Council was looking to expand its
enforcement efforts with data and intelligence gathering to
optimise its approach to litter.
Bins in high footfall areas of the Borough Towns had issues with
overflowing bins that fill up quickly at peak times. The bins were
unable to handle the large number of food outlets. Was this a
normal problem?
Bins in high footfall areas had seven-day coverage but some of
these bins were not owned by the
Council, and therefore would not be emptied by the Council.
Concerns were raised about the design
of some bins in the Borough due to frequent overturning and wind
blowing rubbish out.
Bins that had been overturned could be
repaired in some cases but the Council was keen for
operatives to record the condition of bins for monitoring. There
were historic reasons for differing bins designs in the
Borough.
Who monitored recycling targets?
The Council monitored the recycling rates, reports were provided by Veolia on a monthly basis. This
data was audited and reported to The Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Members also discussed issues of contamination
of recycling bins with non-recyclable waste.
RESOLVED – that the Committee recommend to Cabinet the
roll out of dual recycling bins in the high streets and parks of
the Borough with detail to confirm the final wording delegated to
the Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor Cassar left the meeting at 18:55.