Purpose

The report introduces the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy and seeks endorsement of the shared strategic approach for managing waste across Hampshire.  It also sets out proposed revisions to the Refuse and Recycling Policy and seeks approval to undertake public consultation prior to adoption.

The Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy sets out the shared long-term approach for managing waste and resources across Hampshire, including reducing waste, increasing reuse and recycling, and moving towards a circular economy.  The Strategy reflects the scale of change required in response to legislative, environmental and financial pressures, and provides the strategic framework within which local services will operate.

The Council’s Domestic Waste and Recycling Policy has been comprehensively updated to align with this wider strategic direction and to reflect significant changes in legislation, service delivery and operational practices since it was last approved in 2009.  These include new requirements under the Environment Act 2021, including the introduction of weekly food waste collections.

The updated policy introduces clearer operational controls, strengthens expectations around bin presentation and contamination, and reflects how the service is delivered in practice,  it also formalises a number of practices that have evolved over time and provides clearer guidance to residents on what is expected of them.

The revised policy introduces clearer and more consistent arrangements across key aspects of the service, including

·         The structure of the service, including the introduction of weekly food waste collections alongside existing residual waste and recycling arrangements;

·         The provision and use of bins, including standard bins, shared bins, replacement and additional capacity, and associated charging arrangements;

·         clearer guidance for residents on acceptable materials and how waste and recycling should be presented for collection;

·         the management of waste in practice, including arrangements for additional waste, collection day requirements and missed collections;

·         support arrangements for residents, including assisted collections and guidance for different property types such as flats and shared developments;

·         the availability of optional and chargeable services, including garden waste, bulky waste and trade waste services; and

·         a clearer and more consistent approach to managing contamination, non-compliance and enforcement, including the use of bin tagging and staged escalation where issues persist.

Subject to Executive approval, a public consultation will be undertaken to ensure that the policy is clear, practical and workable in practice, and to inform the final version of the policy ahead of adoption.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  notes and endorses the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS), setting out the shared strategic approach for managing waste and resources across Hampshire;

(b)  approves the draft Waste and Recycling Policy, as attached at Appendix A to the report, for the purpose of public consultation; and

(c)  notes that the outcome of the consultation will be reported back to a future meeting of the Executive, together with a revised policy for approval.