Including emissions trading scheme and landfill tax increase.
Minutes:
Ruth Dixon (Lead Commissioner - Waste Strategy and Contracts) shared a presentation, discussing the following points.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) sent a National Waste Reforms Update in May 2024 covering three main pillars.
1. Extended Producer Responsibility:
· Includes all household packaging, except for plastic and metal drink containers (this would be the deposit returns scheme).
· Brand owners would pay for the cost of collecting, transporting, processing and disposal. Consumers would pay a small amount towards the recycling of the product.
· This should drive producers to reduce packaging and increase recyclability.
· Payments would be made for the packaging in residual waste, bin litter and recycling (not ground litter).
· Income for recycled packaging is offset.
· Each local authority (LA) should be told by DEFRA how much they would receive for 2025/26 by the end of 2024 (paid October 2025).
· LAs would need to provide data for future years.
· Payment in future years would depend on efficient and effective service. Efficient will be determined by the LA ‘family’ considering rurality, deprivation, and housing stock. Effective was yet to be defined, however was likely to be related to quantity of packaging. Ruth explained to the group that the family was one of a possible nine local authority groups, put together by DEFRA.
In answer to a question about the collection of recycled waste, Ruth advised that this part of the legislation was about how to do it however DEFRA had not decided on how to quantify the effectiveness of the scheme and more information was to follow and this could have implications on local authorities on how waste was collected.
2. Simpler Recycling:
· Timeline
o By April 2025 – All businesses and schools to have weekly food waste collections and regular dry recycling collections (including councils).
o By April 2026 – All households, including flats and apartments to have weekly food waste collections and regular dry recycling collections. Transitional and ongoing revenue funding to follow.
o By April 2027 – Micro-firms (10+ employees) not included in the first cohort would be included for both weekly food collection and regular recycling collections.
o By April 2027 – All households and businesses to have plastic film included in recycling collections. Ruth added that Warwickshire would be ahead of the trend and would need to make sure that the comms going out makes sense as it would not be the same message that was sent out nationally.
· Kerbside Rules:
o Dry recycling can be co-mingled.
o Biowaste can be co-mingled (food waste must remain weekly and there cannot be a charge for it).
o Statutory Guidelines would state that residual waste should be collected at least fortnightly. LAs must give ‘due regard’ to this and seek legal advice. It was noted that this was guidance not a legality.
Claire Preston (Chief Officer for Operations and Traded Services, RBC) raised concerns of the potential of a loss of customers for those who do trade waste collections as councils may not be ready to collect separate food waste from business/trade.
There was a round table discussion on commercial/trade waste collections and what that would look like with further discussions on authorities who have gone to four weekly collections instead of three weekly and how that would work and did it have any affect on the waste figures.
3. Deposit Return Scheme (due to start October 2027):
· For plastic and metal drink containers ranging in size from 150ml to 3litres. This scheme would not include glass containers.
· Consumers would pay a deposit at the point of purchase. This would be built into the total purchase price of the item(s) including multipacks. The amount would vary depending on the size of the item.
· The deposit could be redeemed at a deposit point such as a reverse vending machine or an instore return.
· All nations to start at the same time.
· On-pack labelling. This may be a barcode or a QR code.
· The set up of a Deposit Management Organisation to commence in 2025.
There was a group discussion on the implications this could have on consumers, especially those in the lower economic demographic.
In response to a question, Ruth Dixon advised that recycling centres should be able to isolate drink containers that would be part of the scheme however it would be up to local authorities to demonstrate that it was a deposit scheme item collected to claim the refund. Ruth went on the give an example of how this scheme was working in Ireland.
There was a general discussion around bin-diving for deposit scheme items causing additional mess as well as deposit schemes of the past and glass recycling.
4. Other waste reforms.
It was noted that the potential Waste Reforms were released prior to the general election being called therefore these items could change.
· No biological waste to landfill – response to call for evidence.
· WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations – response to consultation
· Disposable vape ban.
· Material facilities regulations – October 2024
· Digital Waste Tracking – April 2025
· New waste hierarchy guidance
· New batteries consultation
· Landfill tax increases to £126.15 in April 2025 (up by 22%)
· Emissions trading scheme for energy from waste due 2028.
There were general discussions about digital waste tracking which was to come into effect in April 2025 with speculation that this may not be ready in time.
No information had been released from the opposition party about waste reforms. The information would be available when the complete manifesto had been published.
A round table discussion about the increase in landfill tax and the emissions trading scheme for energy waste. It was requested that updates were provided to the group at each meeting if any news arises.