Purpose

To provide the final report from the Waste and
Recycling Scrutiny Panel.

Content

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet accepts and
notes the recommendations from Waste and Recycling Scrutiny
Panel as detailed below within the context of the
Waste and Recycling: Changes to Collection Regime and Extension
of Waste and Recycling Contract exempt report (HPS/045)
and:
 

a)            
approves the rename the current Council’s
website link to ‘Recycling and Waste’.
 
b)            
requests that the Cabinet Member for Environment,
Sustainability and Climate Change investigate the Junior Citizen
event which covers ‘waste and the environment’ to
consider expanding this further to cover ‘recycling and
waste’.
 
c)            
recognises that, from other authorities’
experience, implementing a separate food waste collection service
at flats presents logistical challenges and careful consideration
will need to be given to support take up and participation at these
properties; and authorise officers to explore the use of different
collection methods for flats, including the use of reusable bags
and/or “smart clear sacks”.

 
d)            
for the majority of households, supports the
continued use of a 140ltr residual waste bin and existing
exceptions policy as a means of encouraging use of the separate
food waste bin and recycling bins.

 
e)            
recognises that a rollout of two or more phases may
be required to take into account varying requirements of different
property types, as well as balancing available resource and the
lead-in time for delivery of food waste vehicles and food waste
bins.

 
f)              
approves that the waste and recycling service
engages with residents as part of any changes to the service roll
out including agreeing where bins will be sited where different
options may exist for their placement.

 
g)             
confirms it will investigation of the options, of
separate weekly food waste collection and fortnightly residual
waste collection, as supported by the Scrutiny Panel, and noting
the changes proposed in the National Waste Strategy and the
potential for changes to the collection regime to significantly
impact upon recycling performance.
 
h)            
approves that a clear and consistent communications
campaign supports the role out of the separate food waste
collection and any subsequent changes in the collection regime. As
part of this messaging highlight the waste hierarchy of
‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ whilst ensuring that
communications are easy to understand and include the message about
the cost, importance of recycling to incentivise and engage
residents along with contact details for bulky waste collection and
fly tipping; and confirms it will consider utilising the following
mediums to promote communications:

 
·               
Wrap around signs on vehicles (as per standard
approach)
·               
Standard information bins (“bin hangers”
as per standard approach)
·               
myCrawley
·               
Crawley Live
·               
Early promotion in Christmas 2025
collection.
·               
Council Tax billing in advance in April
2026.
·               
All social media to feature notification of
changes.

Reasons for the Recommendations
 
To investigate how
household waste recycling rates in Crawley could be improved and in
particular to ensure the implementation of revised collection
arrangements under Simpler Recycling will help to provide a step
change in recycling performance across the town.