Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director Community.

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director Community which provided an overview of the current waste and recycling

performance within Harrow as well as outlining the key local, national and

international challenges surrounding the waste industry and their potential

impact on the Borough.

Members asked the following questions and officers responded as follows.

What was the reason for the reduction in food waste collected from the kerbside since 2017?

An officer advised that the figures were based on quarter 1 comparisons. Since then, figures had  increased slightly.  Harrow had one of the highest tonnages of waste collected in West London. Also, separate food waste collections helped residents to realise the amount of food waste they threw away so there was always an element of waste minimisation. In addition the food waste collection pilot which had been rolled out to flats in the borough had good levels of participation, helping to increase food waste tonnages.

What would be the likely impact of Brexit on the Waste service and the Waste Plan? What impact would Brexit have on migrant workers employed in the recycling industry? What was being done to educate residents regarding recycling? What had been the impact of China’s restrictions on waste imports? The Member stated that she would like to be included in discussions about reducing plastic waste as part of the Recycling and Reuse Plan

The officer stated that the current European recycling target to be achieved by 2020 was 50 per cent and technically under the EU fines could be levied for non-compliance. However, it remained to be seen whether these targets would be enforced post-Brexit and whether they would be changed.  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were also about to release their Recycling Strategy which should give further information on what the UK would do. With regard to migrant workers, to date, no impact had been felt locally, however, there was a potential impact nationally. 

The Portfolio Holder for Environment advised that the Council’s recycling officers would be responsible for educating residents about recycling.  They disseminated leaflets to households and provided information to schools.

How much of Harrow’s dry mixed recycling waste was contaminated?

Levels of contamination were generally low. Harrow’s recycling contractors carried out sampling of loads and overall Harrow had consistently low levels of contamination (7-8 per cent), which was lower than most other Local Authorities.

For the food waste pilot in flats, participation was based on actual collected food waste, as the contaminated food bins were collected separately so as not to skew the results.

What was the reason for the variance in the rates of composting, household waste and recycling since 2017?

The officer advised that there had been a national reduction in recycling rates and these were affected by budget cuts. The chargeable garden waste scheme in Harrow had one of the highest participation rates in London.

How would the findings of the surveys and assessments impact in the current financial year?

The officer advised that a compositional analysis of the residual waste stream would be undertaken around February/March 2019 to avoid seasonal elements such as Christmas affecting the results.  She confirmed that there would be no financial impact in the current financial year and that these would be felt in the following financial year if successful.

Were the targets set achievable or were some of them being driven by policies from Central Government, for example, those relating to packaging?

The officer stated that a number of organisations such as the Green Alliance and the Chartered Institute of Waste Management lobbied manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they used, to ensure their products were recyclable and to move away from the trend of built-in obsolescence of certain types of products.  She also advised that a number of supermarkets were also planning to phase out black plastics in their own branded packaging which were not recyclable, all of which would have a positive impact on the environment.

Had an analysis of domestic and commercial recycling been carried out?

The officer advised that the service was currently looking at household waste.  The Mayor of London’s  Environmental Strategy set municipal targets and detailed how those targets should be achieved. She advised that Harrow had a growing and successful commercial waste service that would contribute to the municipal target.

What were the financial implications of the increase in domestic waste since 2017 and how would these be mitigated?

The officer advised that the Council was proactive in this and procured jointly with West London Waste to achieve the best possible outlets.  The Portfolio Holder for Environment added that the Council was investigating other options and the forthcoming waste review would seek to improve services and make them more cost effective.

Would re-tendering the dry mixed recycling contract mean an increase in costs?

The officer advised that the contract was in the process of being re-tendered and that there was a 6-month waiver period during the re-tendering to ensure a sustainable disposal point. The new tender was focussed on reducing any potential impact on the service. The aforementioned Chinese restrictions had led to significant fluctuations on the market prices for dry recyclables which in turn increased the Council’s disposal costs.  

Why had there been an increase in garden waste collected?

The officer stated that the recent increase in the volume of garden waste was partly due to the unusual weather conditions during the spring and summer of 2018 and the fact that subscriptions for the garden waste service had increased.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.