Agenda item

Presentation by Rachel Stamp, Contract Management and Performance Senior Officer from Lincolnshire County Council, regarding paper and cardboard recycling collections (roll-out of the purple-lidded bins).

Members received a presentation on the Twin Stream Recycling Implementation from Rachel Stamp, Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager at Lincolnshire County Council. The presentation included responses to the questions raised by the Committee at the previous meeting.

The Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager highlighted that Lincolnshire had the highest quality paper and card material recycling in the UK, and West Lindsey was ahead of other local authorities, sustaining high recycling rates with less than 10% contamination and 80% quality recycling.

She reiterated that engagement and communication with residents and other local authorities was a key priority and there was a dedicated lead officer at the Council. The Corporate objectives, to improve the quality of waste to maximise recycling, was in line with the Joint Municipal Waste Strategy. Each district had their own unique factors, different demographics and working practices.

In terms of financial impact, Lincolnshire County Council had generated some income from the paper and card recycling, but this was offset with the implementation cost, the purchase of bins, and communications. There were also increased disposal costs and fuel costs. The initiative had helped the Council put back into the service to maintain their waste budget and quality of recycling.

There were some areas across the county which were hard to reach with haulage collections and so still used sack collections. Conversations with waste providers were ongoing, as it was difficult to find a provider that would take paper and card recycling in a plastic refuse sack. Other options could include stackable boxes for residents but would require a different vehicle to collect to these areas. Specifically in West Lindsey, there was a poor level of quality recycling from the South West Ward in Gainsborough, and there was a need to revisit and work with the community liaison in this area to improve recycling. The Council would not be able to provide separate paper and card collection in this area.

Overall, statistics demonstrated that the recycling rate nationally had decreased, but Lincolnshire maintained its high standards of recycling. They were aiming for waste minimisation in line with government work in this area. National statistics reported the volume of recycling, compared to the quality of recyclable waste, and the Council was trying to lobby the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to change its approach to reporting on recycling.

The Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager concluded her presentation and invited Members to ask questions. She thanked the Director of Commercial and Operations and his team at the depot for their hard work, as well as West Lindsey District Council and residents for their commitment to recycling, and cooperation working in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council.

The Chairman thanked the Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager for her detailed and interesting presentation, and praised the work that was ongoing.

During the course of discussions, Members were pleased to hear the incinerator was not running at capacity, meaning there was room for expansion still, and enquired what impact the devolution deal might have on waste services in the county. The Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager responded that the Council had a statutory duty to collect waste, and the only changes would be joint working and finding synergies with the combined authorities.

Members enquired whether waste collections in the Gainsborough South West Ward could be completed using a caged lorry, and asked if the recycling collected from this ward contaminated other recyclate. It was explained that Officers were able to do a visual inspection of recycling to determine the quality, however, there was a future planning and communications campaign for the ward with the aim of improving recycling rates, as any other alternatives would come at an extra cost to the Council.

Members asked how much card and paper was wasted due to it being wet. The County Council was able to do a waste composition analysis, but it was difficult to determine the quality of the product to begin with. It was agreed that statistics regarding the non-recyclables would be shared with the Committee after the meeting. It was also highlighted that the use of communications and education about waste and recycling through local schools was high priority of the waste service, with over 6000 school children having been involved in campaigns so far.

Members also heard that food waste collection was to be mandated through parliament, and Lincolnshire were working to be ahead of this, with planning for the introduction of food waste collections well underway. Members enquired whether progress on that implementation could also be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the future.

The Chairman again thanked the Waste Partnerships and Projects Manager for attending and her comprehensive presentation. He reiterated the invitation for her to return in relation to the implementation of food waste collection, and congratulated all involved for their work.