Agenda item

Purpose

The purpose of the report is to update the Cabinet Member on:

·         the upcoming waste changes as a result of the Environment Act 2021

·         the administration's ambitions to increase recycling rates to support the city in meeting its net zero carbon commitments by 2030

·         how PCC, as a social housing landlord, is preparing for these changes.

David Emmett, Head of Waste Services introduced the information only report and updated the meeting on:

·         The upcoming waste changes as a result of the Environment Act 2021

·         The administration's ambitions to increase recycling rates to support the city in meeting its net zero carbon commitments by 2030.

·         How PCC, as a social housing landlord, is preparing for these changes.

David provided a brief background on the Environment Act which will introduce compulsory separation of more recycling streams and increase the recyclable materials that need to be collected at kerbside.   In July 2021, the Cabinet noted the act and agreed the principle of providing a twin stream recycling collection service in the future.  A new materials recovery site is being developed to enable this.

David provided the background on the Waste Provision Act for PCC housing blocks.  As a landlord the Council is responsible for ensuring tenants have the correct information and suitable waste storage facilities to manage their waste in the right way. 

Waste Management and Housing Building Services had set up a joint project to consider PCC housing blocks and their needs now and into the future.

With the increased need to collect waste streams separately there was a need to ensure these changes could be accommodated at all the housing blocks.

There are four main aims:

1.    To provide the correct bin provision and capacity for weekly refuse collections.

2.    To provide efficient recycling and capacity for weekly recycling collections.

3.    To understand and remove barriers to recycling whilst empowering and educating residents to recycle more fully and correctly.

4.    To reduce anti-social behaviour associated with and around bin stores.

Five housing blocks have been selected and each block will have the following collections: refuse, food waste, dried mixed recycling, and fibre (paper and card).  In addition, each block will have a glass bin and small electrical item bin.

Minor improvement works are to be carried out to ensure the additional bins can be accommodated safely with improvements to lighting, paintwork, and flooring along with new signage and stickers to clearly explain what waste can be placed in each bin.

Some work had already been undertaken:

·         The team had been out to the resident consortium and received mainly positive feedback with residents understanding why the changes were taking place and recognising the challenges.

·         Door knocking had taken place at the trial blocks.  Residents were pleased to be getting separate food waste collections.

Of note is that although residents will be asked to separate recycling into two streams, they will be collected in the back of the same refuse collection vehicle until the twin stream collections service is fully implemented in the city. This is likely to be in 2025 when the new materials recovery facility is built.

Questions from Residents' Consortium

The glass recycling service was considered helpful along with the small electrical items recycling.  There was some concern about how some residents will manage taking their different waste streams down the stairs. 

David advised there are discussions ongoing with estate services about how changes might be implemented to assist those residents with a need or mobility issues.  The trial will consider barriers to recycling, attempt to understand them, and then consider changes to be implemented.

Maria requested a representative to attend a residents' consortium meeting halfway through the trial to update residents on the progress.

Members' questions

In response to members' questions and comments the following points were clarified:

·         There will be 6 bins in total.  One for general waste, two for recycling (one for dry mixed recycling and one for fibre), one for glass and one for small recycling items.  Eventually glass will be able to be go in the dry mixed recycling bin.

·         Residents are being asked to separate their dry mixed recycling and fibre waste ahead of the full twin stream collection implementation in order to trial it and consider the barriers that would prevent this recycling taking place.  Volumes of the different streams of waste will be monitored.  The plan is to pre-empt legislative changes, test communications, test implementation and see how residents take it up. 

·         The blocks for the trial were chosen from different areas where the estate teams can engage with residents on the changes, with different layouts for bin stores, and multi-storey blocks.  The choice was purely officer led with no political involvement.

·         It is understood that kitchen size is an issue for residents.  They will be supplied with reusable flat bags that fold up neatly for recycling.  A food waste caddy will be supplied which may take up space on the kitchen side so this will be considered in the trial.  There will also be a glass bag.

·         With regard to the location of the bins outside Millgate House, planters or screens are being considered to go in front of the bins so they are not so obvious.

·         Information packs will be available throughout the trial and will be issued when the bins are swapped over.  Notices will be put up in community spaces and on notice boards.

·         Feedback will come from the ongoing engagement with residents throughout the trial.  The wider Portsmouth residents will also be surveyed on barriers to recycling and general waste provision and bin storage.

Results will be feedback to residents.

·         The consultation response from DEFRA on the drinking container return scheme has not yet been received.  PCC did respond to the consultation.

Summing up, Councillor Sanders noted the shocking recycling rates in the city in 2018 and outlined how the council has been working on ways to respond to the climate change emergency in a constructive way.  He noted that encouraging recycling in council blocks is hugely beneficial and gave an example of Lambeth council where recycling rates increased massively.  He noted the need to carry out the trial in as many blocks as possible to drive up the recycling rates, particularly with food waste, helping to make the city greener.  Councillor Sanders took on board all the comments made, particularly around how to help the many senior citizens with recycling.  Councillor Sanders encouraged everyone to provide honest and open feedback to the team and thanked them for taking the time to present the report.

The Cabinet Member noted the report.