Agenda item

To undertake pre-scrutiny of the draft Garden Waste Strategy report.

(Report attached)

The Committee received a Power Point presentation from Officers detailing proposals for the Council to introduce an optional chargeable garden waste collection (Appendix One).  Officers explained that that the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy, which the Council had signed up to, had set a target of 43% for the recycling or composting of waste materials by 2014. In addition, the national non-statutory target for recycling household waste had been increased from 33% to 45% by 2015.   It was important that Redditch Borough Council played its part in achieving these targets. 

Members were informed that further reasons to undertake a chargeable garden waste collection included: the fact that it reduced biodegradable waste to landfill; that residents had indicated a demand for this service; and that it had been found to be successfully delivered by other local authorities.   Members were informed that, currently, 7% of the waste collected by the Council was garden waste that could be composted.  The Council permitted residents to dispose of a small amount of garden waste in their grey bins.  Orange sacks, which were charged for by the Council, enabled residents to dispose of extra waste and it had been found in 2008/09 that out of 5000 orange sacks collected in the summer months, around 70% contained garden waste.  

Officers outlined the proposals for the additional service to Members.  They explained that the service would be optional for residents and that residents taking part in the service would be provided with a brown 240 litre capacity bin in which to put their garden waste.  Bins would be collected on alternate weeks between March and November.  Officers proposed two options for introducing the service. The first option involved undertaking a pilot in one area of the Borough while the second option would be to deliver the service on a Borough wide basis.   Officers commented that the preferred option was to deliver this scheme in a pilot area first.  This would enable the Council to assess the take up of the scheme and evaluate its success in one area before deciding on whether to extend the scheme to the rest of the Borough. 

It was proposed that the scheme be piloted in the west of Borough.  The pilot area was chosen because it was an area where residents lived in traditional types of housing and because of the larger size of gardens.  However, Officers had also ensured that a mix of housing types with various sized gardens were included in the pilot area.  Indications from consultation conducted as part of the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy had indicated that residents would be willing to pay £30 a year for this service. 

Members questioned whether this scheme would reduce the numbers of people composting and also commented that it would appear to be less environmentally friendly to move garden waste in fuel inefficient vehicles around the Borough rather than to continue to encourage people to compost.  Officers had acknowledged in their presentation that the Council’s carbon footprint would rise as a result of the proposals but stressed that to offset these extra emissions, the Council would have to look to cut emissions elsewhere. 

Some Members felt that the proposed pilot area would not produce a true reflection of residents’ views of this scheme.   It was felt that the west side of the town was more rural than the east of the town which was considered more urban with a higher density of houses and smaller gardens.  Officers explained that, if Members felt strongly about this, the pilot could be run in two different areas one in the east and one is the west of the Borough providing that it could be delivered within two collection days. 

Some Members commented that they felt they were yet to be convinced of the case for supporting the introduction of a chargeable garden waste scheme.  It was felt that this scheme was being proposed in order to achieve three things: to generate income; to achieve performance targets set locally and nationally; and to fulfil environmental objectives.   Members commented on the take up of the service.  It was felt by some of the Committee that the people that usually would dispose of all waste in their grey bins could continue to do so and that those people who made efforts to compost would be the most likely residents to use the scheme.  It was also questioned how likely it would be that residents who currently took their garden waste to the household waste disposal site would pay £30 a year for it to be collected from their door. 

Members asked Officers how they would assess whether the pilot project had been successful.  Officers agreed that this was something they needed to think about.  They agreed to put in additional information in the report for the Executive Committee about how this could be assessed.  Members commented on the accompanying proposals to stop the sale of orange bags and to not permit residents to put garden waste in green bins.  They asked what kind of measures would be undertaken to police this.  Officers explained that as part of the waste collection process for recyclables, residents’ green bins were checked on collection and this would be the approach taken for green waste and grey bins.  The Council had not had to take any enforcement action against residents for misuse of bins and so it was considered unlikely to be a major cause of concern.

Officers presented eight recommendations and one resolution that would be presented to the Executive Committee at their meeting on 18th November.  Members voted in favour of introducing the scheme, however there was a split vote with four Members voting for and three Members voting against the scheme.  They requested that this split in the vote be observed by Officers during the course of the Executive Committee meeting.  All Members agreed that, if approved, the collection should be introduced in a pilot area initially rather than throughout the Borough.  They also requested that the Council pursue recommendations 7a and 8a rather than recommendations 7b and 8b in the Officers’ report.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         the Executive Committee approve Officers’ recommendation to             introduce an ‘opt-in’ chargeable garden waste collection;

2)         the Executive Committee agree to implement this scheme            initially in the pilot area suggested by Officers;

3)         the Executive Committee endorse recommendation 7a that ‘the             amendment of the Council’s current collection policy relating to           garden waste in grey bins be considered to coincide with the start      of the new service to prevent garden waste being placed in grey             bins in the pilot area;

4)         the Executive Committee approves recommendation 8a that ‘the           amendment of the Council’s collection policy relating to the sale          of orange sacks be considered to coincide with the start of the         new service to prevent waste, including garden waste being       disposed of in orange sacks in the pilot area; and

RESOLVED that

1)         the report be noted.