Decision details

The Cabinet had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Operations Manager for Street Scene and Open Spaces and the Head of People, Performance and Waste reviewing the effectiveness and progress of the Council’s Waste & Recycling Scheme, known as Bin-It 123, as implemented on 10 October 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Service Delivery and Continuous Improvement outlined the contents of the report with particular reference to the following:

·       This report provided an update on the Council’s Bin-It 123 scheme which was introduced in October 2022 to increase the recycling rate and reduce the Council’s residual tonnage, to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint and help the District meet its carbon net zero commitment.

·       Since the introduction of the scheme the Council had seen a 5% positive swing in its recycling rate and a substantial reduction in its residual tonnage, this putting the Council in the top 10% nationally for both our recycling performance and for the lowest volume of residual waste collected from households, which received national recognition from OFLOG (Office for Local Government) for being one of the most improved Councils in the Country.

·       The report also included the recent statistics regarding the elimination of additional side waste put out for collection and the very significant reduction seen in side waste instances. There had also been a significant amount of education and support offered through recently conducted site tours with parish and town clerk representatives but also drop in surgeries that were being currently carried out to address particular challenges that were occurring in certain areas of the District.

Consideration was given to:

·       How working together could achieve positive results.

·       Clarity was awaited from the government regarding its views on future waste collections. The Council would be lobbying to retain its autonomy with regard to its remit with Bin–It 123.

·       The importance of the involvement of young people.

·       There had been an increase in the number of requests for black bins but there were criteria which needed to be met before additional bins were provided. Reviews were currently carried out on a two yearly basis.

Note: * Report previously circulated.