Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Environmental Services

Summary

To seek approval to launch the rollout of food waste recycling across the district from October 2009

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended:

(1)       To note the proposed timescales for the plans in launching a Food Waste recycling scheme using the existing brown bin

(2)       To authorise the launch of food recycling across the district from October 2009 subject to a satisfactory analysis of the financial and environmental impacts of the interim arrangements.

Agreed

The Head of Environmental Service submitted a report which sought approval to launch the rollout of food waste recycling across the district from October 2009.

Resolved

(1)       That the proposed timescales for the plans in launching a Food Waste recycling scheme using the existing brown bin be noted.

(2)               That the launch of food recycling across the district from October 2009 be authorised subject to a satisfactory analysis of the financial and environmental impacts of the interim arrangements.

Reasons - Residents concern about food waste is the main barrier to increasing customer satisfaction on the refuse collection service. Launching food waste will address this concern as well as substantially increasing the recycling rate and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

Launching a food waste service does require some one off expenditure. It will also increase waste and recycling costs from 2010/11 due to the loss of a £20/tonne benefit on composting garden waste. However, this increase is substantially reduced due to payments made for out performing landfill targets. These payments could reduce the increase to around £100k/year from 2010/11.