Issue - items at meetings - Waste Management Strategy Consultation Plan

Report of the Director of Environment (copy attached).

(1)       That the Cabinet Member for Environment endorses the Draft Waste Management Strategy.

(2)       That the Cabinet Member for Environment approves the proposed consultation plan for the strategy.

144.1              The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Environment concerning a draft waste management strategy for the city (for copy see minute book).

144.2              The Cabinet Member explained that the draft strategy was a robust deliverable plan to improve achieve a 4% increase in recycling performance, from 28% to 32% and minimise the total amount of waste produced. The Cabinet Member added that residents could rest assured that fortnightly refuse collections would not be introduced and surveillance cameras would not be used.

144.3              Councillor Mitchell was broadly supportive of the strategy, but was concerned that it focussed too much on communications and awareness as a means to achieve targets.

144.4              Councillor Kitcat echoed Councillor Mitchell’s remarks and commented that there was a need to reduce the total amount of waste by changing buying behaviour. He added that it was disappointing that the proposed targets were lower that Government and European Union targets.

144.5              Councillor Watkins added that was a need to meeting demand for communal recycling in city centre locations.

144.6              In response to questions from opposition councillors the Head of Strategy for City Services made the following comments:

§       Recycling services for high and low-rise flats could be expanded to include cardboard and plastic bottles.

§       Officers were in contact with the Older People’s Council on issues around green waste collection.

§       There was no date set for the ‘supermarket summit’ yet, but the issue of reducing packaging remained important.

§       A communications campaign and communal recycling trial was being proposed to improve recycling rates.

§       More research needed to be done before the council could consider the possibility of recycling food waste.

§       Tetra paks currently made up less than 1% of the waste stream; recycling facilities more abundant materials took precedence at this stage.

§       The strategy should be seen as a detailed action plan with realistic, deliverable targets; it was widely accepted that national targets were harder for urban authorities to reach.

144.7              The Cabinet Member added that he was happy for any councillors to meet with officers to discuss further there concerns around the waste strategy and encouraged residents to engage in the consultation process.

144.8              RESOLVED - That having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member accepted the following recommendations:

(1)       That the Draft Waste Management Strategy be endorsed.

(2)       That the proposed consultation plan for the strategy be approved.