Agenda item

Andrew Pau (Service & Commissioning Manager – Waste & Environment) informed the partnership that the data in the first report compared the first three months of the current financial year to the last three months of the previous financial year. The report data stated:

• Recycling and reuse increased by approx. 1000 tonnes
• Composting decreased slightly – most likely due to seasonal changes
• Household waste increased by approx. 3000 tonnes or 4.5%
• The data in the HWRC performance table has some incorrect data - Wellesbourne had a 56% recycling rate during the Q1 period not 44.2% as specified
• There was more residual waste per person per household (1030 kilos per household in 21/22 up from 993 kilos in 19/20)
• The tonnage comparison on page 4 of the report shows that overall, there was a 3% reduction in composting, 7% increase in recycling, 9% increase in residual waste (approx. 2700 tonnes) giving a total increase of 5% in total waste
• Officers discussed the changes to waste across Warwickshire and the impact it had on their budget and services. Warwickshire County Council has flagged that more money would be needed to dispose of the extra waste and for the additional recycling (recycling credits are paid to the boroughs and districts for each tonne of waste recycled)
• It was unknown how long the extra money from central government to manage the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic waste would last  
• All councils had a negative financial impact caused by the changes to waste across Warwickshire

Councillor Shenton queried the recycling tonnages going down in Rugby Borough and composting reducing county-wide (except Warwick District). Dan Green (Head of Environmental and Public Realm Senior Management Team) noted that behaviour changes had not altered since the previous quarter. Andrew Pau stated that the table was complex, and errors could happen when collating/calculating the data. He agreed to review Rugby Borough’s data and requested the partnership for any up-to-date data they personally had. Green composting waste likely decreased because of the weather affecting growing conditions; charging for green waste collections likely had a small impact too. Andrew Pau concluded that every tonne of residual waste costs approx. £100 to dispose of.

The Chair queried if the residual waste was being looked at to see if there was an increase of something specific e.g., takeaway boxes and whether this increase would be permeant with more people staying at home. Andrew Pau stated that the partnership does carry out analysis of residual waste and more work could be done on recycling campaigns. Andrew Pau was bidding for more money to deal with the increase in waste and suggested that the other councils might need to do the same.

In response to Councillor Shenton, Andrew Pau stated that the food in residual waste figure was around 1/4 - 1/3 in the last composition in 2018 this figure was likely similar during the pandemic. Central government were focusing on food waste in their new waste strategy.

In response to Councillor Kathryn Lawrence, the Chair suggested that behaviour changes be monitored closely so campaigns and education practices could be changed to meet the demand. Ruth Dixon (Lead Commissioner - Waste Strategy & Contracts) added that home composting had increased over the years which was good as this was more environmentally friendly and meant people were buying less compost from garden centres which could contain peat. More people were buying the expensive food composters which composted all food waste.

In response to Councillor Margaret Bell, Andrew Pau stated that there was not much of a financial difference between the cost of waste collected kerbside and the cost of waste taken to the household waste recycling centres. However, most residual waste collected kerbside went for energy recovery and residual waste from the household waste recycling centres went to landfill which did cost more. Green waste from the household waste recycling centres could be sent for windrow composting which was cheaper than in-vessel composting which was where the kerbside bio-waste (food mixed with green) was sent. Andrew Pau concluded that some things could only be dealt with at recycling centres like wood.

Following a supplementary query from Councillor Bell, Andrew Pau stated that kerbside dry recycling is mixed in one container whereas household waste recycling centres want everything separated for recycling. Ruth Dixon requested that any inconsistencies from customers visiting the recycling centres be reported to them so they could review this. She added that in North Warwickshire, all residual waste (kerbside and Lower House Farm household waste recycling centre) goes to the same energy from waste facility.