05/06/07 - Future Waste Strategy, Helpful Q&A's

Why do we need a Municipal Waste Management Strategy?

The amount of waste we all produce continues to grow. To continue to dispose of this waste by burying it in landfill sites is no longer a sensible option. Landfill is expensive, produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and the sites need managing for many decades after they are closed. Like all other Councils we have been set allowances for the amount of waste we can landfill. If we exceed those allowances the penalties are punitive.

Waste also contains a significant amount of resource which can be reused (e.g. aluminium, paper, tin and glass) or used as a source of compost or energy. If we want to be an environmentally sound Council we need to improve the way we manage our waste.

Doing nothing is not a sensible option, we estimate that the Council would face penalties of at least 3.2M in 2010 if we do not respond to the challenge. That's 3.2M that should be spent on essential services for our residents.

What about the Council's 50 promises?

Promise 49 says: 'To support residents in recycling or composting more than 50% of household refuse and were practical, we will provide kerbside recycling collection for all our residents.'

The strategy is one of the tools we will use to deliver that promise.

What does the Strategy actually propose?

The strategy contains two sets of proposals. Phase 1 is what we need to do in the next couple of years, phase 2 looks at the longer term. The strategy has a life of 15 years although it will be reviewed on a regular basis.

So what's in Phase 1?

To meet our Promise 'recycling or composting 50% of household refuse and to provide a recycling collection to all our homes where practicable by 2010' and meet our landfill targets, we will have to change radically our waste services, to emphasise the importance of waste reduction and recycling. Starting in 2007, we will:

* Provide a comprehensive kerbside recycling service to all our householders where practicable.
* Actively engage with residents to help them fully participate with the scheme.
* Introduce a fortnightly waste collection using wheelie bins or similar containers.

We will improve the standard of our recycling sites and introduce a second Household Recycling Centre as soon as possible. We will promote waste minimisation, including financial incentives where these are cost effective and ensure that the needs of our waste infrastructure are considered when determining planning applications.

Won'tresidents expect to have all their waste taken away weekly?

We already know that many people are keen to get involved in managing their waste and are satisfied with a fortnightly collection. What is important is that we make sure that the new service is easy to understand and reliable. We are also proposing to put considerable effort in helping and supporting people with the change. Remember we are not reducing the service - recyclables will be collected weekly. What we are doing is changing the emphasis from a waste collection service to a recycling service.

Have we consulted people on this?

A wide consultation on waste was carried out in 2002 and our citizens were asked about these proposals at that time. Of the responses we received, we found that:
* 96% supported waste reduction.
* 88% supported a second household recycling centre.
* 95% supported comprehensive kerbside recycling.
* 73% found a fortnightly collection of waste acceptable, if a kerbside recycling service was also provided.

As these proposals have already been consulted on, and as we need to start planning the revised services now, we do not intend to consult widely on them. We will, however, take residents' views into account in shaping the services.

So what's in Phase 2?

Whilst we aim to achieve 'leading edge' levels of waste reduction, recycling and composting, this will not be sufficient to reduce the quantity of waste sent to landfill. Although we have at least tenyears' capacity in our land fill sites, we need to plan now for the capacity to treat our residual waste to extract the resources contained in it, either as energy or compost. Swindon's treatment requirements are modest compared to many waste disposal authorities and this, along with the pressures for growth in Swindon does give us a number or options. These are :

I. Many large waste disposal authorities are commissioning treatment plants which have significant surplus capacity and we could procure some capacity from another authority.
II. We could enter into a partnership agreement with a neighbouring waste disposal authority to develop a joint facility.
III. We could work with the waste industry to develop a cutting edge plant in Swindon as a large scale trial of emerging waste treatments.

The third option could generate heat and power for new industrial or residential development. We will consult widely on theses options over the next few months.