Agenda item

Last meetingThe Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To provide an update on the waste collections work stream within the Waste Framework and, following on from a preliminary consultation exercise, outline the next steps to determine public opinion and support the development of the Circular Economy in Belfast.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

(a)    note the contents of the report

(b)   receive a presentation from USEL outlining the current mattress recovery operations

(c)    approve holding a facilitated workshop for Members in June to develop a consultation document which will be published on Citizen Space in summer as part of the consultation exercise, along with supplementary activities.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       Last June, the Committee approved the Waste Framework document.  This showed that on current performance, the Council would not meet the 50% recycling target by 2020 and that a paradigm shift was needed to affect major change.  It provides an overview of several options which could be taken to improve how waste could be managed within the city over the next decade in order to deliver the challenging targets (NILAS compliance/landfill diversion and 50% household recycling by 2020).  It has been developed to align with the objectives of the Belfast Agenda and emerging Resourceful Belfast (Circular Economy) document, which outlines the contribution which waste and resources management can make in supporting jobs and the local economy.

3.2       The Waste Framework focuses on four areas: (i) Collection Arrangements, (ii) Infrastructure, (iii) Behaviour Change and (iv) Technology.  Following consideration of the report, Members made a number of points on engaging with schools and maintaining facilities and specifically highlighted that:

(a)    they would welcome an opportunity to input into the drafting of the final consultation document and

(b)   the importance of the ‘Circular Economy’ around creating and maintaining jobs should be emphasised

3.3       This report is designed to provide an update on the results of the preliminary consultation exercise, completed in 2017/18 and to seek approval to undertake a more comprehensive exercise in the summer on the collection arrangements work stream following engagement with Members.

3.4       Pre-Engagement Consultation – Resident buy-in is essential if the proposed scheme is to deliver on the goals of; quality materials, improved value for money, increased recycling and supporting jobs.  Waste Management engaged the Consultation Institute and Social Market Research (SMR) to ensure that the preliminary public engagement and research exercise was deemed suitably objective and robust.  Outcomes will be presented at the workshop.  Some positive examples include:

·        More efficient than the current range of separate bins and boxes

·        Less opportunity for stacked boxes to get blown/kicked about than the current recycling boxes

·        Better separation of waste leading to improved quality of recycled materials

·        Weekly collection of food and recyclables (including glass) from residents’ doorstep

·        Uniform system across almost all of the city (a limited number of apartments may still require a bespoke solution) leading to simpler communications/less confusion.

·        Less contamination leading to improved quality of materials which could be used by local re-processors, thereby maintaining and developing local jobs.

·        Higher quality materials could mean greater levels of income than achieved from blue bins.

3.5       Next Steps – For the next stage of the consultation process Waste Management proposes holding a facilitated workshop with Members in June to develop a consultation document which, following completion, would be launched in the summer over a twelve week period using the Council’s Citizen Space portal.  This consultation exercise would be supplemented with a roadshow to permit interested residents to learn more about waste and resources management in Belfast and how changes to waste collection would contribute to the Belfast Agenda through the maintenance and creation of jobs connected with recycling and the wider Circular Economy opportunities.

3.6       Waste Management would conduct this consultation stage in parallel with taking proposals to amend waste collection through the Capital Programme to ensure that whichever option is chosen, it could proceed in a timely manner. 

3.7       Further as the Waste Framework highlights that, based on business as usual, the Council will not meet the 50% recycling target by 2020, Members are advised that discussions and communications are ongoing with DAERA on potential fund applications in relation to the roll-out of waste and resource arrangements.

3.8       Looking ahead, and as recognised within the Waste Framework, the Council needs to affect a significant shift in behaviour of its residents to focus on gathering quality materials, rather than simply delivering ever-increasing weight based goals.  Adopting such an approach will mitigate against market volatility, optimise income from sale of recyclables and support local jobs.

3.9       Several neighbouring councils are similarly either considering, or have started, implementing the kerbside approach (Option B).  In Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, approximately 12,000 households have transferred onto the new scheme while Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) have stated that this collection scheme (with the exception of 3 weekly residual) aligns with their direction of travel.  LCCC conducted a Members’ study tour to some Welsh councils who implemented similar schemes last year. 

3.10      It is notable that within the UK administrations, Wales has been the top recycler for several years and exceeded 52% in 2016/17 (adjusted to reflect common terminology and datasets). 

3.11      Social Enterprise and link to economy - As emphasised above, the aim of introducing new collection arrangements is to ensure that the Council can make better use of the materials which residents set out for recycling or disposal.  To that end, Waste Management has been leading a cross-Departmental working group along with Economic Initiatives, Procurement Unit and others called Resourceful Belfast to consider what materials should be targeted.  Currently, a number of waste streams are being researched which include (i) food waste (ii) electrical/electronic waste (iii) textiles and (iv) furniture (Priority Waste provides a new opportunity for the recovery and reuse of bulky waste as it is generally cleaner and easier to recover). 

3.12      One of the most recent successes has been the work done with Ulster Supported Learning (USEL).  Arising from a pilot with USEL in 2015, the Council contracted for a novel recovery operation in 2016, which last year resulted in 14,000 mattresses being diverted from landfill and taken apart for recycling or reuse.  These have contributed to the creation of 22 jobs and has led to further materials being considered, including carpets and possibly soft furnishings.  Last month, Waste Management was selected as ‘Partner of the Year’ 2018 by USEL.  In order for Members to get a better insight into what is involved in mattress recovery (and the Circular Economy), a senior executive from USEL is available to give a brief presentation. 

3.13      Members may also care to note that several of these social enterprises have expressed an interest in developing facilities at the North Foreshore/Dargan area, discussions are underway on these prospects.

            Financial & Resource Implications

3.14      Finance - A transition to a new, uniform, collections arrangement will require capital investment in terms of containers and vehicles.  DAERA is currently preparing the business case regarding these collection arrangements in conjunction with their budgetary allocation process. Given the absence of devolved government at Stormont, the time line on this Government support is unknown.

3.15      At the SP&R Committee meeting of 20 April 2018, it was agreed that the new kerbside collection arrangements should be added to the Capital Programme as an Uncommitted Project.  The Outline Business Case (OBC) is being worked up and will be brought back to next stage of the governance arrangements of the capital programme.

3.16      Resources – Given the breadth of work involved in the transition and implementation of such an operational change, it is likely that additional resources will be needed to ensure that business-as-usual is delivered with minimal disruption while the programme of work outlined in the Waste Framework is enacted over the next five years or so.  As part of Resourceful Belfast (Circular Economy), the Council entered into a collaborative agreement with WRAP and this may provide access for some of these resources.  Further reports will be brought to Committee on this as it progresses.

3.17      Equality or Good Relations Implications

            None.”

The Committee:

• agreed to hold a facilitated workshop for the Members during June to assist with the development of a consultation document which would be published on Citizen Space in the summer as part of the consultation exercise; and
• agreed that a presentation would be received at the workshop by representatives from Ulster Supported Employment Ltd (USEL) regarding its  current mattress recovery operations.