Agenda item

To brief the re3 Joint Waste Disposal Board on progress in the delivery of the re3 Joint Waste PFI Contract.

The Board considered a report on progress in the delivery of the re3 Joint Waste PFI

Contract. The report covered:

•           Waste Flows (since commencement of virus Lockdown)

•           Ongoing Operation of re3 HWRCs as Covid-19 Measures Evolve

•           re3 Waste Statistics

•           Trade Trial

•           Chargeable Wastes at HWRC

•           WRAP Contamination Project

•           Communications

The report gave an operational and policy briefing covering the period since the last Board meeting in July and explored the increase in waste received by the re3 councils since the UK lockdown and a section on the booking system which was currently implement for residents in order to gain access to the HMRCs. The report included a proposal to adopt a new system for the booking system which would allow for cancellations of bookings for residents (and consequent rebooking of that slot by other residents) and to allow the councils to have a better understanding of the proportion of visitors per  Borough.

The report also covered the current recycling rates and included descriptions of how re3 officers were currently trying to improve the quality of collected recycling via secured funding and support from WRAP.

There was also a communications section within the report, which updated members on activity undertaken including the completion of a second information video of food waste processes which was very informative and helpful for residents.

Members commented that the booking system had been well received across the three Councils, and were pleased that the cancellation facility would be introduced as a number of the ‘no shows’ were people that had been unable to cancel, which had been the main frustration with the system.

The new system would allow residents to cancel almost in real time.

The process of switching to the new system should be straight forward, and this process was starting now. It would use information from the existing system. The process should take between 3 and 4 weeks, and there would be a testing stage and it was possible that board members may be asked to help test the new system to provide reassurance.

There would be postcode look up system included in the new system, to be able to accurately work out the breakdown of who was visiting each site. It had been important to take only a certain amount of data from residents through the booking system, but enough to be assured that only re3 residents were gaining access to the sites.

Winter hour changes had been pre planned in the system, once the new system in place there were plans to try an increase booking numbers again.

It was also commented that there had been an increase in glass recycling numbers over the lockdown period.

The Chair reminded the Board that they would be looking at the waste charges at the next meeting in January.

RESOLVED that

       i.          Members noted the contents of this report.

      ii.          Members endorsed the proposal to change the booking system, as

described at 5.17 of the report, in order to improve utilisation of bookings and enable patronage (by council) data to be assessed.

     iii.          Members agreed, subject to review at each re3 Board meeting, to

provisionally retain a booking system, for access to the two re3 Household Waste Recycling Centres, until the end of March 2021, as described at 5.20 of the report.

    iv.          Members agreed to make the trade waste services at the recycling centres permanent, as described at 5.36 of the report.

      v.          Members agree to review the Chargeable Waste price at the next Board

Meeting on 21st January 2021, in preparation for any amendments to the prices from 1st April 2021, as described at 5.39 of the report.

    vi.          It was proposed that any re3 Board consideration of glass recycling is timed to coincide with future, Government consultations on relevant sections of the forthcoming Environment Bill, as proposed at 6.21 of the report.