Agenda item

Report by the Director of Environment and Public Protection.

The Committee is asked to scrutinise proposals for the processing of separate food waste and the revised delivery of other waste disposal services on which the Cabinet plans to take a decision in due course.

The Committee will also receive an update on the development of a Joint Strategic Approach with district and borough partners.

53.1     The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Urquhart, introduced the item giving some background for newer members on the committee.  She reported that recent Government strategies on food waste and incineration tax changes had led to a review to find the best solution for waste disposal going forward.

53.2     The Assistant Director (Environment and Public Protection), Mr Read, shared a presentation which summarised the culmination of work by officers, including in finance, procurement and legal. 

53.3     Members of the Committee then asked questions and a summary of those questions and answers follows:

·       There was a statutory requirement under the Environment Act 2021 to provide food waste collection services and this responsibility fell to district and borough councils within West Sussex.  The County Council, as disposal authority, is responsible for disposing of those collections. 

·       The level of funding for food waste collection services from the Government was not yet known and was being keenly awaited by authorities and professional groups nationally.  The Cabinet Member was encouraged to keep up pressure for an announcement.  It was anticipated that there could be capital support to increase fleet to cope with collections as well as possible revenue support.  The trial in Arun had been supported by County Council funding.

·       The introduction of food waste collection services generally led to higher recycling rates because people realised how much they were wasting and worked harder at being less wasteful.  It was suggested that residents needed to be made aware of the benefits of the scheme prior to schemes starting, to improve their perception of the process.  Particular attention needed to be given to areas of multiple occupancy eg blocks of flats.

·       Changes in behaviour meant that a weekly collection of food waste and absorbent hygiene products eg nappies, with a fortnightly recyclables collection and a three weekly residual waste collection could make a real difference to recycling and waste disposal rates.  Reductions in collections would also assist with targets to be carbon neutral.

·       The cost of dealing with waste in West Sussex was higher than some neighbouring authorities because many of them used options such as incineration.  Residents had historically not wanted such disposal options in West Sussex.  However, technology had moved on since then and there were now a greater range of options available.

·       The glossary of terms was welcomed but there was a request to use full terms in reports instead of abbreviations.

53.4     Resolved – That the Committee:

1.   Accepted the premise of the report and understood and supported Option 2 – variation of the MRMC and modification of the site at Warnham.

2.   Noting that the new duty to collect food waste falls to Waste Collection Authorities, stressed the importance of residents’ perceptions, and of making residents aware of the need for, and benefits of, separate food waste collection, prior to its introduction.

3.   Acknowledged that recycling rates improve in areas where separate food waste collection has been implemented, and that food waste tends to reduce over time in such areas.

4.   Encouraged the Cabinet Member to keep pressure on Government to confirm the timing of, and funding for, implementation of the new duties arising under the Environment Act 2021.