Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 37 of the meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission held on 20th January, 2016, consideration was given to a report, presented by the Cabinet Member for Waste, Road and Community Safety and by the Street Scene Manager concerning the progress of the scrutiny review of Waste Management being undertaken by the Task and Finish Group established by this Select Commission.

The report stated that the Task and Finish Group had:-

i) recognised that Waste Management is one of the most important front-line services that this Council delivers to the people of Rotherham.  This Council is both a Waste Collection and a Waste Disposal Authority;

ii) examined options in relation to Household Waste Recycling Centres; re-use facilities; the collection of bulky items, green waste collections; kerbside collections; textiles and small electrical, as well as the collection of commercial waste.

The outcome of the scrutiny review had identified several short- and medium-term actions, all of which were detailed within the submitted report.

The progress of the various aspects of the scrutiny review were also highlighted within the submitted report and it was noted that the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group’s scrutiny review would be taken into account and included within the service development plans of the Regeneration and Environment Directorate, which were being prepared during 2017.

The Select Commission highlighted a number of issues during discussion of this item:-

: the campaign of public communication with residents (eg: about the availability of home composting bins);

: British Heart Foundation – scheme for the collection and re-use of unwanted furniture and electrical items; this suggested scheme had not commenced for reasons of cost, affecting both this Council and the British Heart Foundation;

: some large items of furniture are disposed of at landfill sites, although recycling is also utilised (eg: wooden furniture), depending upon the material from which the furniture items are made;

:  the trial of the re-use project (eg: electrical items; bicycles) at household waste recycling centres; this scheme had begun during January 2017 and would be of benefit to charities; the scheme had not yet been widely advertised; Members requested further details of the re-use scheme;

: charging for non-household waste at household waste recycling centres – the current contract does not permit this arrangement;  there will be further examination of this possible arrangement, although the household waste recycling centres are currently not resourced to accept commercial waste;  it was noted that the current contract with the FCC Company is a joint contract between the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham;

:  joint working with the other principal local authorities in South Yorkshire (eg: the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham existing joint arrangement); discussions will continue in respect of residents of one local authority being able to dispose of waste for recycling at the household waste recycling centres situated in the other local authorities’ areas;

: recycling of plastic bottles – the Council does not currently collect plastic bottles from the kerbside for recycling, although plastic materials placed in the black domestic refuse bins will be separated for recycling at the waste treatment facility at Manvers; the collection of plastic bottles at the kerbside would have cost implications for this Council;

: domestic waste collection at intervals of four weeks – this Council was not considering such an arrangement;

: the recycling centre at Conisbrough, Doncaster;

:  the allocation and use of permits for light commercial vehicles and large vans entering the household waste recycling centres;

: the commercial waste disposal contracts and enforcement where necessary;

: ensuring that other organisations (eg: Parish and Town Councils) were aware of recycling facilities and schemes, in order to assist with the provision of publicity for such facilities;

: the desirability of goods for sale having environmentally-friendly packaging;

: the damage to the environment caused by fly-tipping.

Resolved:- That the report be received and its contents noted.

(Councillor Reeder and Councillor Wyatt referred to their involvement and consequent personal interests, as volunteers, with charitable organisations participating in schemes for the recycling of various materials)