Agenda item - Back Our Biosphere Bid, consultation

2.1 Cityclean officers Ollie Lewis and Hollie Smith outlined the proposed communal recycling service in some central areas of the City where there are currently communal refuse bins in place. The scheme was being trialled because recycling rates were poor at present in certain areas; there were several practical reasons for this. A 2011 trial in Brunswick and Adelaide had shown significantly increased recycling rates and increased resident satisfaction.

2.2 Members of the Older  People’s Council  were invited to reply to the current consultation and to encourage others to do so. Closing date is 6 May 2013.

2.3 Answering questions the officers said assisted collections for disabled people would remain unaffected by the trial. The pilot had led to an increased uptake in assisted collections amongst people who had not realised they were entitled to this service. There were an estimated 6,000 households in the City who used the assisted collection service.

2.4 OPC Members questioned how locations of communal recycling bins would be decided, asking how far an average person would need to walk to their nearest bin.

2.5 There would be a loss of some 120 car parking spaces, none of which were disabled spaces. Replies to the consultation would help inform a balanced solution to this issue. Unused black boxes would be collected and reused.

2.6 Collection frequency of the communal recycling bins would be on a ‘trial and error’ basis and each collection would be weighed and recorded.

2.7 Batteries can be put in with mixed recycling. Around 95% of all collected recyclable materials were used in the UK. Only two types of plastic – PET1 and HDP -  were currently collected. Other plastics had low market value and were not recyclable in this country. The organisation Wrap helps influence supermarkets and other businesses to reduce water in various ways.

2.8 Further information is available by phone 01273 – 292929 or website link: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1276214.

2.9  Some Members were interested to visit to the Hollingdean materials recovery facility.