Introduction of a Green Waste Collection Scheme

AGENDA ITEM 8

FOR INFORMATION – CABINET 7TH MARCH 2006

BOROUGH OF POOLE

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW GROUP

6TH MARCH 2006

INTRODUCTION OF A GREEN WASTE COLLECTION SCHEME

1.  PURPOSE AND POLICY CONTEXT

1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide members with a proposal to introduce a Green Waste Collection Service. To assist in the achievement of the Councils recycling rate whilst mitigating LATS penalties in accordance with the Council’s adopted Waste Strategy.

2.  DECISION REQUIRED

2.1 That members support and recommend to Cabinet the proposals that a green waste collection service be introduced within the Borough and that the phased implementation begins with 12,000 properties.

2.2  That members support and recommend to Cabinet the introduction of a green waste bring site scheme to areas not benefiting from the first stage of the green bin scheme or close proximity to the Nuffield recycling centre.

2.3 That members support and recommend to Cabinet a key policy change.

Banning the placing of any green waste in the black refuse bins in all of

the properties serviced by the kerbside green waste scheme

2.4 That members recommend to Cabinet that the resources associated with the Waste Performance Efficiency Grant and base budget for 2005-2006 are carried forward to 2006-2007 as earmarked reserves within cost centre balances.

3.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION

3.1 The Council’s Household Waste Strategy was adopted by Council on 30th July 2002. A key factor of the strategy included the future introduction of a green waste collection scheme.

3.2 In December 2004 a report was presented to members outlining the potential implications of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS). Members agreed to note the potential implications and minuted that “The Head of Environmental and Consumer Protection Services explore options and strategies that avoid or mitigate against the possibility of financial penalty becoming payable under this scheme and that such options be presented to the Environment Overview Group at a future date”.

3.3 Furthermore on the 6th October 2005 EOG members recommended to Cabinet that officers be instructed to investigate the options for the introduction of a Green Waste Scheme and their proposals be brought to Environment Overview Group in due course.

4.  CURRENT POSITION

4.1 Poole has a statutory recycling target of 30% for 2005/06. This has been reduced from 40% following Central Governments capping of recycling targets for all Local Authorities to 30% in December 2004. Figures have not yet been agreed for future years, however draft figures from DEFRA indicate that this will rise back to 40% in 2008/09.

4.2 The table below illustrates the monthly recycling rate for Poole 2005/06 to date. Members will note that the recycling target has been achieved for the last 3 months, this can be attributed to the high leaf fall and green street sweepings collected throughout the Borough at this time of year which are sent for composting.

4.3 The figures comprise both BV82a Household Recycling rate and BV82b Household Composting rate.

Figure 1:

4.4 Despite the clear success of the scheme, including, a particularly impressive participation rate of 99% and a satisfaction rate of 87% (Poole Opinion Panel) amongst residents. The recycling target of 30% is yet to be consistently achieved.

4.5 With such a high participation rate already achieved, coupled with the increased pressure that LATS brings to the authority, the introduction of a green waste collection scheme is essential if the authority is to efficiently and environmentally manage its waste.

4.6 Currently the main facility for capturing Poole’s household green waste is the Nuffield Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) where residents visiting the site are required to separate out this element for composting. Three further options include:

·  Home composting

·  Leave it in a corner of the garden/fly tip it elsewhere

·  Put it, with the Council’s current approval, in the refuse bin

It is the latter of these disposal methods which the authority needs to reduce if it is to increase the percentage of waste that it recycles.

4.7 Of the 18 local authorities that collect the same kerbside materials as Poole, only two others do not operate green waste kerbside collections.

5.  RESEARCH AND CONSULTATION

5.1  To assist with research and identification of best practice options to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill, officer’s commissioned the expertise of SLR Consulting Limited and Rotate – Recycling Advisory Service to work collectively to develop proposals appropriate for the Authority.

5.2 SLR are the leading environmental consultants to the UK’s waste management industry and its regulators in terms of strategic advice and on individual development projects. Accordingly, SLR works for all of the major UK waste management companies, the Environment Agency and local and regional authorities.

5.3 To assist in researching options, two questions also featured in the recent Poole Opinion Panel. The results of which reported that 68% of residents are interested in having a kerbside green waste collection. When asked the question, If green/garden waste was prohibited from existing wheelie bins, what would be your preferred method of disposal? 68% preferred a kerbside collection. It is reasonable to conclude that this percentage would be higher than 68% in areas of the Borough with larger gardens and less than 68% in areas with little or no garden.

Collective findings have been broken down as follows:-

5.4 Bin versus bag Collection

The type of container offered to residents for organic waste has been the subject of research studies. The following conclusions have been reached.

·  The use of wheeled-bins results in higher participation and recovery rates compared to degradable polymer sacks

·  A green waste wheeled-bin scheme has been successfully implemented by numerous other Authorities.

·  Manual handling risks for residents and operatives are greater with a bag/sack scheme. Wheeled bins are user friendly and are more suitable for the robust containment of garden waste.

5.5 Free versus Chargeable Scheme

Research has found that key to the success of any scheme is an Authorities ability to encourage resident participation. Any chargeable service is ultimately likely to decrease residents willingness to participate.

The degree to which a chargeable service will dissuade participation is believed to be high as illustrated by the Rotate report and backed up by similar findings in Bath & North East Somerset with tonnage data indicating that much greater quantities of garden waste were collected when there was a free service (263kgs/hh/year as opposed to 25kgs/hh/year).

All of the 10 top performing UK local authorities include green waste collections in their recycling schemes and, significantly, only two of them make a charge to residents.

6.  PROPOSED SCHEME

·  Continue to promote home composting as the primary recycling option for the disposal of green waste

·  Introduction of a compulsory 240 litre bin collection scheme

·  To 12,000 pre determined properties in first year

·  Fortnightly collection service

·  Operating 7 months per year

·  Operating times Mon – Fri 13:00 – 18:00

·  Introduction of Green waste bring collection sites

6.1 The Borough of Poole is a member of the Dorset Recycling Group which has secured a partnership with WRAP to provide discounted home composters to Poole residents. Since the scheme’s commencement in 2000, 9523 receptacles have been purchased by householders in Poole. This partnership will continue with further higher profile promotional activities aimed at residents including advertisement of offers to those properties selected for the green waste kerbside collection scheme.

6.2 Following the successful implementation of the Blue Bin Recycling Scheme including resident’s support and commitment following its introduction. it is proposed that members support a non chargeable introduction of a 240 litre green bin to 12,000 pre determined properties.

6.3 It is anticipated that the scheme would incorporate a fortnightly collection service operated by a single collection crew, based on a collection vehicle being double shifted and available from 13:00 hours as a result of efficiencies developed within the existing collection operation. A new collection crew would operate until 18:00 hours for seven months of the year annually. In 2006 the scheme will launch in early to mid summer and continue until at least the end of October.

6.4 The methodology for determining the most suitable areas will be driven by

identifying areas that exhibit demographic and environmental profiles

expected to yield the highest quantities of garden waste.

6.5  Interpretation of GIS data will establish garden profiles throughout the Borough concentrating on numbers of gardens, average garden size and maximum garden size. This data will be used to develop collection rounds that ensure maximum collection yields. Service efficiencies and operational productivity will also be principal factors in determining which properties will be most appropriate to form the final 12,000. This work will be undertaken independently by SLR Consultants.

6.6  The estimated quantity of green waste available for collection over the Summer period (April – October), based on 80% participation and 80% diversion is 2200 tonnes, or 14.3 kg/hhold/collection adding to our overall recycling rate. A single 240 litre bin should be adequate for this quantity of material, although actual volume will be dependent on the type of green material (hedge trimmings are less dense than grass cuttings).

6.8 A key policy change will be required in the areas serviced by the kerbside green waste scheme. It will be necessary to ban the placing of any green waste in black refuse bins. Residents participating in the scheme will need to be made aware of this fact and that the refuse bin will not be emptied if it contains green waste. This will ensure that total waste arisings are managed and that we maximise the amount of green waste diverted from landfill.

6.9  In conjunction with the wheeled bin collection scheme it is proposed that an urban green waste “BRING” collection scheme be introduced. It is envisaged that the scheme will comprise of 2 or 3 designated sites in the borough. These sites would be serviced using a static container system based on a fortnightly/three weekly weekend collection at sites to be determined. The aim is to principally service those areas not selected for stage one of the wheeled bin scheme and those properties that are less proximate to Nuffield HWRC.

Further work will be undertaken by Council Officers, the Environment Agency and SLR Consulting to determine the most suitable locations for such a scheme

6.10  The introduction of green waste collection scheme will also further encourage households to take advantage of the existing policy of swapping their large black residual waste bin for a large blue recycling bin thereby encouraging an increase in the proportion of household waste that they recycle.

7. RISKS

7.1 There is potential for absorbing increased waste through the scheme which in turn will affect overall waste arisings. Evidence from other authorities demonstrates that in practice a significant amount of this waste is already accounted for in the waste stream via the existing refuse bin.

7.2 Home composting may decrease as a result of the schemes introduction. This will be minimised by the continued promotion of home composting, acknowledging how both systems (a kerbside collection and home composting) can work in tandem. The scheme may additionally discourage visits to the HWRC by residents who may otherwise have brought additional recyclate during their visit.

8.  PROPOSED TIMETABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

8.1 Prior to the scheme being operational a number key tasks need to be undertaken including:- The procurement of bins, recruitment of staff, development of rounds, delivery of bins and promotion of the forthcoming scheme.

8.2 At present there is uncertainty in the market place over the availability of

bins, therefore a commencement date is currently unavailable, it is

however envisaged that the scheme will be live by early-mid Summer.

Members will be informed of a date as soon as operationally possible.

9  FUNDING OF SCHEME

9.1 DEFRA have provided financial support to the local authority to under pin and support core funding to improve waste performance and efficiency. This grant, which is a mixture of revenue and capital funding, is available for the period 2005/06 to 2007/08. The support offered is as follows;

2005/06 £102,000

2006/07 £271,300

2007/08 £284,000

9.2 In addition to this, the base revenue budget of Environmental and Consumer Protection Services includes £98,000 in 2005/06 and £50,000 thereafter.

9.3 The cost of delivering a 12,000 property scheme as described together with a 2-3 location green bring site collection can be delivered for £115,000 revenue and £223,000 capital in 2006/07. This includes purchase of equipment, including bins, and the promotion and education needed to launch the scheme. In subsequent years the cost will be £70,000 which can be funded from a combination of the current revenue budget and savings the scheme generates in landfill costs.

9.4 This scheme is deliverable without additional pressure on Council funding.

Grant funded opportunities exist to extend the scheme in 2007/08.

9.5 A more detailed financial appraisal of the Green Waste scheme is attached in Appendix 1.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

Borough of Poole Household Waste Strategy July 2002 Available on Loop 3

Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme Implications Dec 2004 Available on Loop 3

Contact Officer

Shaun Robson Tel 01202 261736

Head of Environmental & Consumer Protection Services

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