Memorandum by Chichester District Council
(CDC) (RC 3)
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Chichester District Council lies within
West Sussex comprising an area of 300 square miles of mainly rural
disrict with approximately 52,000 households and a population
of around 112,000.
2. CURRENT SERVICE
2.1 The Council provides to all domestic
properties an alternate week general waste and recycling service
using wheeled bins. This service was introduced in phases beginning
in September 2002 with completion achieved in October 2005. The
standard wheeled bins offered to residents is 240 litres. Residents
can choose a smaller bin but larger general waste bins are only
provided to properties with high occupancy levels. CDC is believed
to be the first Council to make recycling compulsory. Larger or
multiple recycling bins are offered freely where requested. A
mix of recyclable materials is collected from properties comprising
paper/card products, cans and plastic bottles. In addition to
this the Council has provided over 100 minimum recycling centres
around the district provided with colour separated glass banks,
and containers for newspapers, cans/plastics, textiles, and also
some books/shoes and charity banks.
2.2 In 2005-06 CDC achieved a recycling
rate of 29.35% which was the fifth best in the country for dry-recyclables.
In 2006-07 a dry recyclable rate of around 32% is expected, equal
to the best Council declared in 2005-06.
2.3 In 2006 CDC commenced the phased introduction
of a chargeable garden cuttings green waste collection service
using wheeled bins collected on a fortnightly frequency. One in
six properties are predicted to take up this service over the
next two to three years. The green waste collected is converted
into compost and will raise the Councils recycling and composting
rate to over 40% by 2009.
2.4 The above services have been supported
by street surveys with encouragement and enforcement resources
employed to successfully operate the service. A range of communications
measures have been employed including vehicle signage, direct
mailings, media coverage, cinema adverts, exhibitions/displays
with regular service performance updates and comparisons provided.
Collection calendars with waste minimisation and recycling encouragement/information
is directly mailed to each household annually.
3. SERVICE OUTCOMES
3.1 Comprehensive general waste, recycling
and green waste service provided at least cost.
3.2 Alternate week service and compulsory
recycling ensures maximum participation in recycling and maximum
landfill tonnage diversion of recyclable materials. National recycling
performance statistics show alternate week services outperform
weekly general waste collection services for recycling participation.
3.3 The wheeled bin recycling service with
mix of recyclable materials is simple and convenient to residents.
3.4 CDC has the highest proportion of recyclables
collected in West Sussex (proven by waste analysis) and fifth
best in the Country for 2005-06.
3.5 Restricting issue of multiple or larger
bins for general waste is effective in controlling the amount
of waste generated. Since 2002 the annual total tonnage of household
waste collected by CDC has not risen despite property growth of
around 1% per annum.
3.6 All Councils publish BVPI 84a—kilograms
of household waste collected per head of population. This BVPI
can indicate how effective services and Councils are at minimising
the growth and generation of household waste. In 2005-06 CDC's
BVPI 84a was 370.3kg placing it in the top quartile of Councils.
4. TIMING OF
COLLECTIONS
4.1 CDC would like to consider collecting
general waste, recyclables and green waste from properties from
6 am to 10 pm to achieve savings on vehicle procurement ie operate
a two shift system. However this is not possible due to restricted
operating times linked to planning/licensing conditions for waste
transfer stations, landfill, composting sites, recycling plants.
Although waste collection and street cleaning services are seven
days a week operations, the permissions/approvals given to operate
these necessary facilities do not reflect these needs and the
potential efficiency savings possible are therefore not realised.
Extended opening/operating times enables rush hour and other congestion
to be avoided thus offering further performance improvements and
efficiency savings to be realised. This equally applies to the
operation of commercial waste collection services provided to
businesses.
5. COST OF
WASTE COLLECTION
5.1. Cost of waste collection in rural areas
is substantially more than in urban areas. In CDC urban area refuse
crews can service 1000 plus properties per day. In rural areas
this reduces to 400-600 properties per day.
5.2 Rural collection costs can be over double
urban area costs. All Councils publish BVPI 86—cost of waste
collection per household so comparisons can be made. In 2005-06
CDC BVPI 86 was £55.98 compared to Worthing BC at £22.55.
6. REFUSE STORAGE
6.1. The existing refuse and recycling storage
facilities and highway access to certain housing types eg flats
is inadequate, poorly designed and located. More emphasis is required
at the design/planning stage to provide a wider range of waste
materials storage facilities.
6.2. Shared bins lead to problems due to
lack of accountability. This leads to poor conditions, recycling
contamination, and no control over waste generated. Individual
lockable bins are preferred when possible in these locations.
As a general rule increased frequency of collections to flats
etc is not feasible without disproportionate increase in costs.
7. MEASUREMENT
OF WASTE
7.1. This has improved substantially in
recent years. More measurement information will assist in service
monitoring to improve performance and target problem areas. Fitting
micro-chip devices to bins can provide individual property information.
On board refuse freighter weighing can ensure vehicle weight limits
are not exceeded. As many Councils collect a variety of wastes
from a wide range of premises on the same vehicle on the same
day a higher degree of accuracy of waste measurement is not possible
unless all premises waste weights are separately measured.
8. JOINT WORKING
8.1. CDC has a long history of joint working
on waste matters with other West Sussex Councils. This includes
joint contracts on abandoned vehicle collection/disposal, clinical
waste disposal and county wide waste minimisation initiatives
covering sale of home composters and food digesters, use of real
nappies and the publication of waste awareness packs, recycling
guides etc. There is potential for more joint working on waste
minimisation promotion. Above joint working has achieved efficiencies
and savings.
8.2. Potential for progress on shared services
in medium/longer term as services harmonise and existing contractual
commitments expire. These could reduce overheads and achieve efficiency
savings.
8.3. Joint procurement has substantial potential
covering goods/containers/vehicles and services including support
services such as vehicle maintenance. CDC does not believe significant
benefits will be realised from large countywide collection contracts
due to need for local depots and responsiveness and flexibility
required for meeting local customer and service needs.
8.4. More could be done to recover and reuse
discarded household appliances and furniture perhaps by links
with charities and voluntary groups.
8.5. Also greater partnership working on
the recovery and recycling of minority materials is advocated.
9. INFORMATION
PROGRAMMES
9.1 Provision of information to households
and businesses important to maintain focus and achieve personal
responsibility. Government can achieve much through national promotion
initiatives through all media but particularly in mainstream TV
programmes such as Eastenders, Coronation Street. These programmes
need to demonstrate good waste minimisation and recycling practices.
This should also apply to youth media and include the use of well
known personalities/celebrities.
10. PLANNING
FOR FUTURE
SORTING, COLLECTION
AND DISPOSAL
FACILITIES
10.1 It is essential that joint working
take place between Councils and the private sector in planning
for new infrastructure and treatment facilities from the earliest
stages to ongoing operation. This will ensure that all needs and
possibilities are considered and that service improvements occur
on a timely basis in a cost effective way.
11. CHARGING
FOR WASTE
COLLECTION
11.1 This Council has real concerns over
the charging of residents for collection of general waste. The
cost of waste collection in CDC whilst high at £55.98 per
household per annum is tiny compared to the overall Council Tax
charges paid by residents.
11.2 Charging will be costly to administer
and enforce and lead to widespread dissatisfaction with residents
because a noticeable reduction in Council Tax will not be evident.
11.3 It is recommended that the law be changed
to allow Councils to charge for waste services so that these can
be considered on an individual basis locally. CDC may wish to
charge for some services eg the special collection of waste not
put out at the correct time by residents, for the collection of
contaminated recycling or garden waste etc or for the collection
of excess waste.
11.4 Charging for all routine household
waste in not supported due to the sgnificant problems this is
predicted will cause. A proportion of residents would seek to
avoid payment by disposing of waste as fly-tips, adjacent to litter
and dog waste bins or in other premises bins with subsequent deterioration
in the street scene. Councils could incur substantial extra costs
in resolving these problems.
11.5 The cost of general commercial waste
collection services is not thought to be currently encouraging
noticeable waste minimisation in SME's. Although awareness is
increasing, SME's mistakenly believe recycling services are profitable
and therefore should be offered free or at minimal charge. The
recently announced increases in landfill tax will help focus attention
on waste collection/disposal costs and lead to further interest
in waste minimisation and recycling. Councils are under no duty
to recycle commercial waste and receive no recycling credit payments
to do so, whereas recycling credits are payable for recycling
of household waste. If Government introduced financial incentives
to recycle business waste a rapid and substantial increase in
recycling would be realised with many Councils operating such
services for SME's.
11.6 CDC has provided pilot cardboard recycling
services to SME's in recent years but the absence of recycling
credit payments and the reluctance of businesses to pay the true
cost of collection services has meant that CDC has subsidised
the service up to now.
11.7 The absence of local recycling facilities
for businesses including being denied access to household waste
recycling sites operated by waste disposal authorities creates
a barrier for businesses waste recycling.
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