Agenda item

(Report of the Operations Manager)

The Chair introduced the Report of the Operations Manager to provide the Committee with an update on Joint Waste Service Operations.

The Operation Manager highlighted the following information from the report –

Ø  The services has just been through the busiest 3 weeks of the year and whilst the figures aren’t out for the period yet the service did deliver.

Ø  Missed bins were down on average compared to the same period last year.

Ø  Complaints were down on average compared to the same period last year.

Ø  Sign ups to the garden waste service were down however this may be due to a late launch date due to the introduction of a direct debit option for users.

Ø  The number of contaminated bins was lower than the same period last year.

Ø  Quality - there has been one rejected load since the service went live.

Ø  Contamination rate has increased.

Ø  Residual Waste tonnage not including garden waste has increased slightly.

Ø  Dry recycling rates have dropped, this could be due to several factors, people have become used to the scheme/lack of care/disengaged/cost of living crisis. A campaign is being launch in the spring which will be fully funded, and the team will be looking for Councillor support to take this to residents and members will be invited to a briefing in the future.

Ø  The services is anticipating a 40k overspend (16k attributed to Tamworth) which is an improvement on the previous year’s overspend of 195k.

Ø  Flats and HMO’s are now on the dual recycling scheme and there continues to be work needed in this area.

Ø  Government have announced that food waste collections will be mandatory from 2026 and the service has been awarded £1.7 million  for the infrastructure.

Ø  Fleet replacement is still being explored and a briefing will be bought to committee at a later date.

The Chair thanked the officers for a comprehensive report and acknowledged that from personal experience the service had delivered over Christmas.

The Committee made the following comments/observations and asked the following questions:

1.     Whether missed collections were coming down due to a more staffed team?

The Officer confirmed that this was monitored daily. The team were asked why collections were missed and responses reported included locked gates on assisted collections, human error.

2.     Were school being targeted in the proposed campaign as it was felt that children could be key to engaging families with re-cycling?

It was confirmed that engaging with schoosl is key in encouraging parents to engage in recycling.

3.     Were there any ideas in place yet as to how the food waste service would be introduced and can we fail?

The Officer confirmed that this would be challenging but that the law required it. It would be a smaller, simpler operation and there were already contracts in place for disposal. Challenges were around extra staff (approx. 23), extra vehicles (approx.11/12) and engaging service users to participate. In terms of failure the service would aim to deliver this as it does all of its services. It was highlighted that whilst tonnage will be important, the aim is to change behaviour to reduce household food waste. It was highlighted that national adverts suggests the average family wastes £60 per month in food.

The Chief Executive added that this was mandated from March 2026 and that whilst the Council had received provision capital figures to pay for infrastructure, they were missing the detail on the ongoing revenue to support the service which is expected to be at no cost to the Council.

4.     Whether there was an update around the fleet replacement and looking at alternative vehicles?

The Officer confirmed that there was no update at present but that moving to an alternative fuelled fleet in the upgrade in 2025 would not be possible.