Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to inform members of the launch of a public consultation by DAERA on ‘Rethinking Our Resources: Measures for Climate Action and a Circular Economy in NI’

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       Members are requested to:

·        note the contents of the report,

·        agree the upcoming workshop to formulate a Belfast City Response on the key items within the consultation.

·        Agree to support a request via the Council Waste Forum for a time extension to consider a full and proper response to the consultation.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       On 7th March. 2024, The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) published a consultation titled ‘Rethinking Our Resources: Measures for Climate Action and a Circular Economy in NI’ seeking views of key stakeholders

3.2       DAERA stated that the purpose of the consultation is to work towards meeting legal requirements and the statutory targets contained within the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022 and the Waste and Contaminated Land Order (NI) 1997.

3.3       DAERA stated that they wanted to hear the views of stakeholders on proposals designed to improve the quality and quantity of household and non-household municipal recycling, reduce food waste, and cut landfill rates with a view to developing policy options.

3.4       They noted that the consultation also covered proposals on the implementation of recycling for businesses, (also known as the non-household municipal sector), which is now included in the legal definition of municipal waste in legislation through amendments made by the Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendments) Regulations (NI) 2020. DAERA have positioned this consultation in relation the relevant legislative context as follows;

            ‘The EU Circular Economy Package (CEP), which the UK committed to prior to EU exit, was transposed into domestic legislation in December 2020 via the Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020. This amended the content of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and introduced a range of targets including a municipal waste recycling target of 65% by 2035 (with interim targets of 55% by 2025 and 60% by 2030) and municipal waste landfill target of 10% or less by 2035. 

3.5       This legislation also extended the definition of ‘municipal waste’, to include waste collected from sources other than households where the waste is similar in nature and composition. This means that most businesses, public sector and third sector organisations are now in scope of this revised definition.  In addition to these targets, we also have a new recycling target arising from the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, which requires Northern Ireland to achieve a 70% waste recycling rate by 2030’.

3.6       This consultation has been much anticipated by those involved in Waste Management.  Since publication, BCC officers have been reading and understanding the content of the consultation. It is their view that this is potentially the most important consultation in relation to the future collection recycling and treatment of waste for many years. The findings and outcomes of the consultation will determine the future government direction of travel in terms of the management of Waste and will be a major influencer in the subsequent Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy to be developed later in 2024 by DAERA.

3.7       The consultation is open for 12 weeks, and consists of 26 distinct proposals split into 2 areas.

·        Part 1 - Proposals 1 to 12 - to improve commonality in collections from households.

·        Part 2 - Proposals 13 to 26 - to improve recycling of Non-Household Municipal Waste

            Over the 26 proposals consultees are asked to put forward views on over 100 separate questions.

            The 26 proposals are outlined and detail the considerable complexity of the consultation  - a link to the full suite of consultation documentation is here; https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/consultations/rethinking-our-resources-measures-climate-action-and-circular-economy-ni-consultation

3.8       There are concerns from officers across the 11 NI Councils that the 12 week consultation period is too short to answer this consultation properly and there is a proposal being raised at the Council Waste Forum on 12^th April to agree to make  a request from all Councils to DAERA for an extension to this deadline, to allow for consideration and appropriate governance arrangements for every NI council to be carried out properly. BCC officers would request that the People and Communities Committee support this proposal for a time extension.

3.9       That said, and without an extension currently being granted, in order to complete as full and considered response as possible, officers would propose to run a member’s workshop, in the City Hall from 12.00 – 2 p.m. on Thursday 18th April. The workshop will be designed to gain consensus with members on the consultation response and in particular on identified key topics. Officers will then endeavour to formulate a draft response for the May Peoples and Communities Committee meeting for approval and subsequent submission to DAERA at the end of May.

3.10      Should members wish to attend this workshop, Officers would encourage Members to familiarise themselves as much as possible by referencing the link above.

            Financial and Resource Implications

      None

      Equality or Good Relations Implications/

      Rural Needs Assessment

      None.”

            Several Members welcomed the opportunity, given the importance of the consultation, to participate in the proposed workshop and agreed that this would provide a forum for more detailed discussion.

            Following a query, the Director of Neighbourhood Services undertook to liaise with the Member directly regarding the use of single use plastics and whether the Council planned to increase its number of water refill points at pitches.

            The Committee agreed:

·        that a workshop be convened for Members of the Committee, in the Lavery Room, on Thursday, 18th April from 12.00 noon – 2.00 p.m. to enable the Members to participate in helping formulate a Belfast City Response on the key items within the consultation;

·        to support a request via the Council Waste Forum for a time extension to the 12-week consultation period to give adequate time for Councils to consider the consultation and prepare a full and detailed response; and

·        that a letter should also be sent on behalf of the Council directly seeking a time extension to the 12-week consultation period.