UTTLESFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Transcription

1 UTTLESFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY Page 1

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Drivers for Change Uttlesford District Council is a Waste Collection Authority (WCA) located in North West Essex, working in partnership with Essex County Council as the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA). This document complements the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS) for Essex and Southend and the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) set up between Essex County Council, the 12 Waste Collection Authorities operating within Essex, and the unitary authority of Southend-on-Sea. This document sets out the Municipal Waste Management Strategy (MWMS) for the district, describing how Uttlesford District Council will: i. Provide good quality, cost effective, reliable and responsive waste management services ii. Maintain and improve on the excellent recycling and composting rate achieved by the authority iii. Reduce the amount of residual waste sent to landfill iv. Support educational and promotional activities to raise awareness of waste issues and encourage waste minimisation v. Support the JMWMS for Essex and Southend and the IAA A key factor of the IAA is the development of a central facility to provide treatment for residual waste. This facility will require a network of transfer stations to be developed across Essex. The use of a transfer station for the delivery of residual waste and food waste offers an opportunity to introduce a single pass collection system to the district. The current fleet operated by Uttlesford District Council is due for renewal in April 2013, and this strategy sets out how the introduction of a new fleet will bring increased efficiencies and savings to the Waste Management Service. It is proposed to bring the fleet renewal forward to April 2012 to implement the proposed changes and make savings to the Waste and Recycling budget. In the current climate, pressure is increasing on local authorities to make financial savings in all service areas, and the fleet renewal will offer an opportunity for significant savings to be made from the Waste Management Service. In determining the MWMS and how the strategy will be delivered, the council has reviewed and challenged its methods of delivery. Service Delivery Review Exercise The Council has long had a vision of a single pass system for the collection of residual waste, dry recyclables and food waste. These systems have proven successful elsewhere in the country and offer efficiencies both in terms of cost and environmental benefit but have previously not been a logistically viable option for Uttlesford. Page 2 2

3 Officers have visited several WCAs to look at different collection systems and determine which system would be most suitable for Uttlesford District Council, given the district s geography and collection system. With developments in collection vehicle technology, it is now possible to realise the vision of the single pass system for the co-collection of all materials currently collected by the authority under the current alternate weekly collection (AWC) system. New Service Delivery Arrangements The current three stream AWC system will remain in place with some changes to the mechanism of collection. These changes will be facilitated by the fleet renewal scheduled for April The new collection vehicles will enable a single pass system to be introduced and this will require certain changes to the existing method of collection. i. The key change to the service will be the replacement of the current 140 litre wheeled bin for food waste with a 23 litre food waste caddy to enable the single pass service to be implemented efficiently. ii. Due to developments within the recycling industry, glass can now be introduced to the commingled dry-recyclables collections. iii. A four-day working week will be introduced to increase fuel efficiencies and reduce the carbon footprint of the council. This will also reduce disruption to residents caused by catch-up collections following Bank Holidays To facilitate waste minimisation, reuse and recycling, in addition to improving the current three stream alternate weekly collection system, the council will also make a number of changes to other waste collection arrangements: i. The reduction of the bring bank service, once glass has been introduced to the commingled dry-recycling scheme. ii. Improvements to garden waste collection services with the introduction of a subscription-based wheeled bin collection of garden waste. The pre-paid bag scheme will still be available to exempt properties. The weekend garden waste skip service will also be reviewed. iii. The withdrawal of Weekend Civic Amenity Skip services to promote waste minimisation. iv. The introduction of kerbside textiles collections via a contractor to increase diversion of textile waste from landfill. v. The cessation of the trade cardboard recycling collection. Method of Delivery The kerbside collection fleet renewal provides an opportunity to rationalise the kerbside waste management operations within the district and bring new savings and efficiencies to the services provided. This rationalisation of the kerbside collections will be complemented by further efficiency savings across the waste management service area. Page 3 3

4 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY GLOSSARY OF TERMS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. BACKGROUND TO WASTE MANAGEMENT 2.1. Profile of the District 2.2. Waste Management in Essex 2.3. Service Provision Operational Policy Decisions 3. BASELINE 3.1. Waste Arisings 3.2. Recycling and Composting Rate 3.3. Waste Management Services Currently Provided 3.4. Existing Service Delivery Arrangements 3.5. Existing Disposal/Reprocessing Arrangements 3.6. Collection Points 4. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE 4.1. Financial Pressures 4.2. Fleet Renewal 4.3. Joint Municipal Waste Managements Strategy for Essex and Southend 4.4. Inter Authority Agreement 4.5. Landfill Tax & Recycling Credits 4.6. Waste Hierarchy 4.7. Uttlesford Voices Citizens Panel Survey FUTURE COLLECTION SCHEME 5.1. Single Pass System 5.2. Bring Bank Service 5.3. Garden waste Collections 5.4. Weekend Civic Amenity Skip Service 5.5. Container Provision 5.6. Textiles Collection Service 5.7. Trade Cardboard Recycling Service 6. FUTURE WASTE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENTS 6.1. Final Disposal for Residual Waste 6.2. Transfer Stations 6.3. Treatment for Food Waste 7. FUTURE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS 7.1. MRF Capacity Contract 7.2. Essex Textiles Contract APPENDICES 1. Uttlesford District Council Wheeled Bin Policy 20 Page 2 Page 4 4

5 GLOSSARY OF TERMS AD: Anaerobic Digestion AWC: Alternate Weekly Collection EWPP: Essex Waste Prevention Partnership IAA: Inter Authority Agreement JMWMS: Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy LFHW: Love Food Hate Waste MBT: Mechanical Biological Treatment MWMS: Municipal Waste Management Strategy OJEU: Online Journal of the European Union PFI: Private Finance Initiative RCHW: Recycling Centre for Household Waste SDP: Service Delivery Plan UDC: Uttlesford District Council WCA: Waste Collection Authority WDA: Waste Disposal Authority WEEE: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WRAP: Waste Resources Action Programme Page 5 5

6 1. INTRODUCTION This document is the Municipal Waste Management Strategy (MWMS) for Uttlesford District Council and sets out the current position in terms of waste management and outlines the future aspirations for the Waste Management Service. This MWMS will incorporate the drivers for change which have been borne out of the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Essex and Southend (JMWMS) and the Inter Authority Agreement (IAA). This document was preceded by the Uttlesford District Council Municipal Waste Management Strategy 2005, which set out the authority s aspirations to introduce food waste collections and the wheeled bin system which is in use across the district today. 2. BACKGROUND TO WASTE MANAGEMENT 2.1. Profile of the District The district of Uttlesford lies in the North West of Essex and is one of the 12 district and borough authorities which makes up Essex County Council s administrative area. It is predominantly a rural district with major centres of population at Saffron Walden, Great Dunmow and Stansted Mountfitchet, and a major international airport at Stansted. In 2010/11 the number of properties in the district was 32,500, with a population of 75,725 split into 57 parishes of varying sizes. Access to and through the district is reasonable by way of a direct link to London and Cambridge via the M11, and to the East Cost of England via the A120. Several major housing developments have recently been built within the district at Woodlands Park, Great Dunmow; Oakwood Park, Little Dunmow; Priors Green, Little Canfield and Takeley; and Forest Hall Park, Birchanger and Stansted all of which still have further properties under construction Waste Management in Essex The Essex administrative area operates a two-tier Waste Management structure with Essex County Council performing the role of the Waste Disposal Authority (WDA) and the 12 District and Borough Council s performing the role of Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs). Essex is also bordered by two Unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which have responsibility for both collection and disposal of wastes. As a WCA, Uttlesford District Council has a responsibility to collect waste and recyclable materials from residents. The disposal of dry recyclables, glass and clinical wastes is arranged by the council. The disposal of all other waste streams is directed by Essex County Council as the WDA Service Provision Operational Policy Decisions Uttlesford District Council has established a number of aims and objectives for the Waste Management Service Area: Provision of good quality, cost effective, reliable and responsive waste management services To maintain and improve on the excellent recycling and composting rate achieved by the authority Page 6 6

7 To support educational and promotional activities to raise awareness of waste issues and to encourage waste minimisation and participation in recycling schemes To support the JMWMS for Essex and Southend To Support the IAA 3. BASELINE 3.1. Waste Arisings Table 1 details the household waste arisings by authority for the non-unitary WCAs in Essex for 2010/11. Year 3.2. Recycling and Composting Rate Table 2 details the change in the recycling and composting rate achieved by Uttlesford District Council in the years since the introduction of the wheeled bin recycling service. Table 2: Uttlesford District Council Recycling Rate Household Waste to Landfill (Tonnes) Household Waste Recycled (Tonnes) Household Waste Composted (Tonnes) Total Household Waste Arisings (Tonnes) Household Waste Recycled (%) Household Waste Composted (%) Total Recycled and Composted (%) 2005/ / / / / / Waste Management Services Currently Provided Uttlesford District Council currently provides a range of recycling and waste collection services. These are summarised below: Recycling Services Provision of alternate weekly dry recyclable collections from domestic properties using 240 litre green-lidded wheeled bins. Provision of alternate weekly dry recyclables collections to flatted properties and schools using either 240 litre, 660 litre or 1100 litre wheeled bins. Provision of a network of 62 bring bank sites, all of which have glass recycling banks. Of these sites, 7 sites also offer banks for textiles and shoes. Provision of cardboard recycling collection from commercial premises using pre-paid tape. Page 7 7

8 Composting Services Provision of weekly food waste collections from domestic properties using 140 litre wheeled bins Provision of weekly food waste collections from domestic properties which are exempt from the wheeled bin service using 23 litre food waste caddies Provision of weekly food waste collection from schools and some flatted properties using 140 litre wheeled bins Provision of year round weekly green waste skip service at Great Dunmow, and a year round alternate weekly green waste skip service at Thaxted and Stansted Provision of weekly green waste skip services to 21 parishes running annually from March to November Provision of weekly pre-paid bag collection service for garden waste from domestic properties Waste Collection Services Provision of alternate weekly residual waste collections from domestic properties using 180 litre wheeled bins Provision of residual waste collections from flatted properties using either 180 litre, 660 litre or 1100 litre wheeled bins Provision of a Weekend Civic Amenity Skip service to several parishes Provision of commercial waste collection service Provision of pre-paid collections for bulky household waste Other Services Provision of an assisted collection service for resident unable, due either to infirmity or disability, to present wheeled bins for collection at the boundary of their property Provision of a chargeable bulky waste collection service for large domestic items such as refrigeration units, cookers, mattresses and furniture items Provision of a domestic clinical waste collection service, for the collection of medical sharps, dialysis waste, wound dressings etc., provided by a contractor Container Provision The three standard domestic wheeled bins are provided free of charge by Uttlesford District Council to all residents. Where flatted properties are built, developers are required to purchase the waste containers themselves should they require bulk bins (660 or 1100 litre bins) for the containment of residual waste. Recycling containers and food waste bins are provided free of charge Existing Service Delivery Arrangements Collection Services Uttlesford District Council currently operates the waste and recycling collection services in-house with the exception of the clinical waste collections which are currently operated by General Business Holdings. Page 8 8

9 Recycling Promotion Recycling promotional activities are provided by Uttlesford District Council s Waste and Recycling Officer and supported by the Council s Communications team and Printroom. These activities include promotion via the council s website, leaflets for residents, collection calendars, press releases, pieces in Uttlesford Life magazine, and workshops for community groups Schools Waste Education Waste Education for schools is provided both by Uttlesford District Council s Waste and Recycling Officer and also by Essex County Council s Waste Education Team. The Essex County Council Waste Education Team offer visits to schools using the Recycling Bus as a mobile classroom for curriculum linked educational lessons, followed up by a classroom visit which provides an educational activity for the pupils to reinforce the messages from the lesson given on the Recycling Bus Waste Minimisation Waste Minimisation activities are largely carried out in conjunction with Essex County Council and the Essex Waste Prevention Partnership (EWPP) which involves the 12 WCAs within Essex, Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Thurrock Council. Essex County Council s key waste prevention activities include a longrunning initiative for the promotion of Cloth Nappies. Uttlesford District Council is fortunate to have an active cloth nappy network based in Saffron Walden who regularly hold events during Real Nappy Week and also hold monthly Nappuccinos which the Council supports through the printing of flyers and posters and also officer time. The EWPP s key focus is looking at joint working to promote waste prevention through the promotion of Home Composting and the national Love Food Hate Waste (LFHW) food waste reduction campaign. The EWPP has obtained funding from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). This funding has led to the establishment of a volunteer network entitled Waste Busters and the funding has enabled Essex County Council to recruit a Volunteer Coordinator to manage the volunteer network. The Waste Busters volunteer network will support the work done by Essex County council and the WCAs through promotional activities across Essex. The funding has also been used to provide resources to all WCAs for the promotion of Home Composting and LFHW Existing Disposal/Reprocessing Arrangements Food Waste Food waste treatment is via a framework contract between Essex County Council and several food waste reprocessors. The food waste treatment contract is a framework agreement and a mini-competition is run annually for the tonnage which is available from Essex WCAs. Currently the food waste collected by Uttlesford District Council is taken to a transfer station, WRG in Haverhill, for bulking and onward haulage to Envar s in-vessel composting facility in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Page 9 9

10 Dry Recyclables Dry recyclables reprocessing is via an agreement with Holmen Paper Ltd in partnership with Braintree District Council. Dry recyclables are taken to two transfer stations, Prince Recycling in High Roding and WRG in Haverhill for bulking and then onward haulage to Holmen s partner Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), Nordic Recycling in Tilbury. Once separated, materials are then distributed to reprocessors for recycling Glass Glass collected from the bring bank network is transported directly to OI Glass in Harlow for recycling Residual/Bulky Waste Residual waste and non-hazardous bulky wastes are disposed via a framework contract between Essex County Council and several landfill operators. A mini-competition is run annually for the tonnage from Essex WCAs. Currently residual waste and non-hazardous bulky wastes from the South of the district are disposed of at the Lafarge landfill site in Roxwell, and residual waste and non-hazardous bulky wastes from the North of the district are taken to WRG s transfer station in Haverhill for bulking and onward haulage to landfill Hazardous Bulky Waste Items/Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Hazardous bulky items, such as refrigeration units (domestic fridges & freezers), cathode ray appliances (televisions and monitors) and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) must be disposed of in accordance with EU directives concerning refrigeration units and WEEE. This disposal is via a contract between Essex County Council and May Gurney. These materials are collected by May Gurney s sub-contractors from the Shire Hill Depot in the North of the district. Clinical waste collections are carried out on behalf of Uttlesford District Council by General Business Holdings who are responsible for the supply of containers for the collection of medical sharps and clinical wastes (such as wound dressings, dialysis wastes and catheters) and the collection and subsequent disposal of these wastes Collection Points Uttlesford District Council currently makes all collections of waste and recyclables from the front boundary of properties unless a special exemption has been granted for alternative arrangements, such as assisted collection. In certain newer developments access for collection vehicles has proved problematic and therefore collection points have been instigated for some cul-de-sacs, whereby residents are required to bring their wheeled bins to a communal collection point. All planning applications for new properties are subject to a condition regarding the storage and presentation of containers for residual waste and Page 10 10

11 recycling. All applications are passed to the Waste and Recycling Officer for inspection prior to discharge of the condition to ensure that sufficient capacity is factored in to new developments for the containment of waste and recyclables and to ensure suitable access for collection vehicles to reduce the need for centralised collection points. 4. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE 4.1. Financial Pressures Local Authorities are coming under increasing financial pressure due to cuts in public sector funding from Central Government. These pressures are being experienced by all areas of the council, and the need to rationalise services and improve efficiencies is a key area of work for Uttlesford District Council Fleet Renewal The current fleet operated by Uttlesford District Council will be due for renewal in April This is a key opportunity to achieve efficiency savings from the waste management operations provided by the council. Several options have been explored for the replacement of the vehicles giving consideration to the geography of the district, the current collection system in place, and efficiencies which could be made to the current collection system. These would not only reduce the operational costs of the service but also improve the environmental performance of the council through a reduction in the Council s carbon footprint and greater diversion of material from landfill. These efficiencies will also improve the public s perception of the council s waste management operations. It is proposed to bring the fleet renewal forward to April 2012 to implement the proposed changes and make savings to the Waste and Recycling budget for the financial year 2012/ Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Essex and Southend The JMWMS for Essex was adopted by Essex County Council s Full Council on 15 th July The key themes of the JMWMS are as follows: Essex Authorities will work hard to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and re-use more of the waste that is produced; Essex will achieve high levels of recycling, with an aspiration to achieve collectively 60% recycling of household waste by This could be achieved through a combination of further improvement in the performance of recycling and composting kerbside collection schemes and the Recycling Centres for Household Waste, and the recovery of recyclable materials through new treatment plants. Essex favours composting technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD), for source segregated organic wastes. AD is a form of biotreatment and produces a gas which can be used to generate 100% renewable electricity; Whilst we can work on reducing the amount of waste produced and recycling as much of if it as possible, there will always be some waste that still needs to be disposed of. For this we propose to introduce new treatment plants using Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT). MBT processes any black bag waste and recovers further material for recycling. Part of the remaining material can either be Page 11 11

12 manufactured into a fuel for energy production or can be sent to landfill Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) The IAA is the implementation tool of the JMWMS for Essex and Southend. Essex County Council is currently in procurement for a facility for the treatment of residual waste funded through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI), whereby public infrastructure projects are funded by private capital. The IAA is an agreement between the WCAs and the WDA to set out the responsibilities of each in relation to the collection and disposal of wastes, and to guarantee the provision of waste feedstock into the facility which is currently being procured. The IAA covers three distinct issues: A commitment to working in partnership and in accordance with the JMWMS Commitment by the WCAs to provide separate collection of kitchen waste and in return, a commitment by the WDA to provide funding for this Commitment by the WCAs to set out in a Service Delivery Plan (SDP) and thereafter adhere to the recycling and collection arrangements that each WCA currently envisages (or specifically anticipates). This will give sufficient certainty for the PFI provider to design and build a suitably sized and calibrated main treatment facility Landfill Tax & Recycling Credits In October 1996, the Government introduced a tax on the landfilling of waste. This is an environmental tax which is paid on top of normal landfill gate fees by any organisation disposing of waste to landfill. The purpose of this tax is to: Reduce the amount of waste disposed of at landfill sites through increased cost of this method of disposal; and Increase the use of more sustainable waste management techniques such as recycling and composting The landfill tax rate for biodegradable waste has steadily increased since the tax s introduction and now stands at 56 per tonne (2011/2012). The rate increases year on year, and rates have currently been set as follows: 64 per tonne 2012/13 72 per tonne 2013/14 80 per tonne 2014/15 WDAs pay the gate fees and landfill tax for disposal of residual waste collected by the WCAs. WDAs are required to pass on any disposal savings made where WCAs have successfully diverted waste from landfill, and these savings are passed on in the form of a Recycling Credit. The current value of the Recycling Credit in Essex is (2011/12) and this value rises by 3% 1 Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Essex , Essex County Council, July Essex Waste Inter Authority Agreement Briefing Note to Members, Sharpe Pritchard, December 2008 Page 12 12

13 each year. WCAs rely on the income from recycling credits to offset the additional collection cost incurred by offering recycling services. In Essex, under the Inter Authority Agreement, the WDA pays the gate fee for food waste collected by the WCAs, but all other gate fees (dry recyclables, garden waste and street sweeping recycling) are paid for by the WCA Waste Hierarchy The theoretical framework of the waste hierarchy underpins both the JMWMS and the Uttlesford District Council MWMS. The waste hierarchy ranks waste management options in order of sustainability: Reduce Re-use Recycling Recovery Disposal The most effective environmental solution is to reduce the amount of waste we produce. An example of this is the use of cloth nappies instead of disposables. Some materials and products can be used again either for the same or a different purpose. An example of this is the use of reusable shopping bags instead of carrier bags, or taking clothing to a charity shop. Materials can be used in the production of new materials as secondary raw materials, thus reducing reliance on virgin raw materials. An example of this is the use of glass cullet from old glass containers in the manufacture of new glass containers. If reduction, re-use or recycling is not possible, then we must gain value from the residual waste through energy recovery. If none of the previous options offer a viable solution, only then should waste be disposed of to landfill Uttlesford Voices Citizens Panel Survey 2010 A survey of the Uttlesford Citizens Panel was carried out in 2010 relating to all areas of works carried out by Uttlesford District Council. Certain areas within waste management were highlighted as areas for development, namely garden waste services, glass collection services and the size of collection containers. These areas have been carefully considered when formulating this strategy. 5. FUTURE COLLECTION SYSTEM 5.1. Single-Pass System Uttlesford District Council has long had a vision of a single-pass system for the collection of residual waste and recyclables. When this system was first considered for the new wheeled bin service which was introduced in 2006, it was not a viable option due to the need for a single tipping point for all the waste streams. Furthermore, the vehicles available at the time proved unsuitable for the collection of food wastes due to the liquid waste which is produced from food waste. The single-pass system was largely untested in the UK at that time and therefore the system we currently have in place was selected as the most suitable and practical option. Page 13 13

14 Developments in vehicle technology since the introduction of the wheeled bin service in 2006 now make it possible to achieve the vision of the single-pass system. The logistics are now feasible and it is financially viable. The Council has commissioned a report from consultants White Young Green on the most appropriate arrangements for the single-pass system to work effectively within the Uttlesford administrative area, taking into account the demographics and geography of the area. White Young Green advises that the most suitable collection vehicles for the single-pass system would be refuse freighters with either a split body for dual rear-end loading, or refuse freighters with a standard body with a side loading pod located behind the cab of the vehicle. The current alternate weekly collection would remain the same and the vehicles would collect residual waste and food waste one week and dry recyclables and food waste the following week. These vehicles would be crewed by a driver and three loaders. Of the three loaders, one operative will be collecting food waste whilst the other two loaders will collect the dry recyclables/residual waste. Loaders will alternate duties throughout the working day to minimise manual handling risks. The implementation of the new split-bodied vehicles will lead to a significant saving in fuel and will also yield a reduction in the fleet from the existing 6 recycling/residual waste rounds and 5 food waste rounds to 6 multi-purpose rounds. In order for the single-pass system to be effectively implemented, changes would be required to the existing collection services. Following the implementation of changes to the current collection scheme, further changes can be made to the waste management service as a whole Food Waste Collections The current collection of food waste using 140 litre wheeled bins will be impractical when the single pass system is implemented as the single food waste loader would not be able to keep pace with the other loaders collecting the recyclables/residual waste. The current 140 litre wheeled bins would be replaced with 23 litre food waste caddies, which would then be tipped into a slave bin. The operative would collect from multiple properties before emptying the bin into the vehicle enabling them to keep pace with the rest of the crew. The existing brown-lidded 140 litre bins would be collected when the new 23 litre caddies are delivered to residents. A stock of 140 litre wheeled bins will be retained for use in schools and flat blocks and the remainder will be recycled. The change from wheeled bins to kitchen caddies will reduce the incidences of residents contaminating the food waste bins. It will also be welcomed by residents who find the current food waste wheeled bins cumbersome, unnecessarily large and difficult to clean Dry Recyclables Collections The current arrangements for the collection of dry recyclables will remain as they are at present, using the 240 litre green-lidded wheeled bins, but with the introduction of glass to the list of recyclable items collected. Uttlesford District Council has been advised by Page 14 14

15 Holmen Paper that the MRF is able to accept glass in with the commingled dry recyclables at no additional cost to the authority. A new agreement needs to be drawn up before glass can be introduced formally to the dry recyclables collections, and we propose to implement this change to coincide with the introduction of the new collection vehicles. This will lead to a reduction in contamination of the dry recyclables (glass is currently treated as a contaminant in the dry recyclables) and will be welcomed by residents as it was highlighted as an area for development in the Uttlesford Voices Citizens Panel Survey carried out in Summer This will also lead to a reduction in residual waste to landfill as many residents place glass in their residual waste bin at present rather than using the bring bank sites for the disposal of their glass Four-Day Working Week It is proposed that, to generate further efficiencies from the waste and recycling service area, a four-day working week is introduced. The proposed working week would be Tuesday to Friday therefore removing the requirement for catch-up working on Saturdays following Monday bank holidays. Catch-up working would still be required after Easter and Christmas bank holiday periods. The working day would be extended from the current 7 hours 24 minutes to 9 hours 15 minutes to accommodate all collections within the 4-day week. The work will continue to be on a job and finish basis. In order to implement a four-day working week, work has been done to optimise collection routes to ensure that collection rounds can be run as efficiently as possible in terms of fuel consumption which will in turn reduce the carbon footprint generated by the Council s waste collection operations. The increased hours which will be worked by the crew are acceptable under the Domestic Drivers Hours regulations, however to ensure that any overrun in the working day does not pose a problem for operations, one of the loaders on each crew will also be a HGV driver and will be able to take over the driving if there was a delay to the round which results in the core driver s driving hours being exceeded. As with any change in service, residents will need to be advised of revised collection days which will involve a significant promotional campaign to ensure that the transition occurs smoothly Bring Bank Service Once glass is introduced to the dry recyclables collections, there will be a significant reduction in the use of the bring bank service. This is a pattern which has been observed by many local authorities following the introduction of kerbside glass collection services. Harlow Council, following the introduction of kerbside glass collections, has completely removed the bring bank service for glass, and other Essex authorities have significantly reduced their bring bank service following the introduction of kerbside glass collections. It is proposed that once the new scheme has been implemented that the bring bank service be reduced to a small number of mini-bank sites around the district which can be emptied by the domestic collection rounds as they Page 15 15

16 pass the bring bank sites. This service reduction will lead to a significant fuel saving Garden Waste Collections Alongside the implementation of the new single-pass collection service it is proposed to introduce a subscription-based fortnightly garden waste collection on an opt-in basis. The charge for the service would enable this service to be self-funding. Having researched similar such schemes operated by other Essex authorities, it is proposed to offer residents a 240 litre wheeled bin for the garden waste collection service. Reuse of the redundant 140 litre wheeled bins (which are currently used for food waste) was considered, however other local authorities have reported that these containers are not suitable for garden waste as the slightly tapering shape of the bins leads to compaction of garden waste in the bottom of the containers and a higher incidence of bin breakage during collections. It is proposed that an annual charge be levied, along with an initial payment to cover the cost of the container, which, with the additional composting credit received from Essex County Council, will cover the cost of collection and treatment of the garden waste. Charges will be reviewed annually and set on a cost recovery principle balanced on a rolling three year basis. Charges will be published in the Council s Schedule of Rates. This service would be introduced gradually to ensure that geographically appropriate collection rounds could be devised. The scheme would initially be made available to the major towns in the district, and then would be offered out to residents living in more rural areas. The availability of the service to residents will be dependant upon sufficient resident take-up of the service. It is proposed that the current pre-paid garden waste sack collections is maintained for those properties which are exempt from wheeled bins. Collections will need to be booked in advance to ensure that rounds are able to accommodate requests. The current weekend green waste skip collection service is a very popular service with residents, however, due to its weekend operation, the running costs of providing this service are significant. It is proposed that if Parish Councils wish to avail themselves of the service that a charge is made to the local councils receiving the service to cover the running costs Weekend Civic Amenity Skip Service It is proposed that the Weekend Civic Amenity Skip service is removed in order to reduce the council s waste to landfill. The availability of this service leads to some wastes entering the waste stream which could have been avoided had the service not been available. The service also incurs a significant staffing cost to the authority due to its weekend operation. Residents who make use of this service will be directed either to the Essex County Council run Recycling Centre for Household Waste (RCHW) at Saffron Walden or Braintree, alternatively an agreement exists between Essex County Council and East Hertfordshire Council which allows Uttlesford residents to use the Recycling Centre at Bishops Stortford without challenge. Page 16 16

17 5.5. Container provision The recent large housing developments which have been built within the District have placed a significant financial burden upon Uttlesford District Council in terms of provision of waste and recycling containers. Under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act, the authority are permitted to specify the containers which must be used for waste presentation and can require that these are purchased by the occupier. It is proposed that for new developments in excess of 15 dwellings, Section 106 money is requested to cover the cost of providing the containers. Containers will still be provided by Uttlesford District Council to ensure that they meet the requirements of our system, however the developer will be invoiced to recover the cost of these containers. This will reduce costs to the council but will also ensure that waste containers are available to residents of new properties on the day of occupation, whereas at present residents are often in occupation before containers are ordered from the council which can lead to a delay in residents obtaining the necessary containers. In future it is proposed that the cost of provision of waste and recycling containers for new properties could be recouped through the Community Infrastructure Levy Textiles Collection Service The market value for textiles has increased significantly in recent years and there are increasing numbers of companies who are collecting textiles from residents at the kerbside. Essex Textiles approached Uttlesford District Council in 2010 with a proposal to operate a kerbside collection of textiles from residents in Uttlesford on a no-cost basis. Essex Textiles will provide the sacks for the collections and all literature advertising the scheme to residents, and they will provide a fortnightly collection of textiles in line with the current recycling collection calendar. Residents will be asked to place textiles out for collection in the sacks provided and place these next to their green-lidded bins on collection day. Uttlesford District Council supports a trial of this scheme which is due to start in June 2011 for 1 year. Following the initial trial the arrangement will be reviewed and if the scheme has proved successful, a formal tender process will be run for the service. Uttlesford District Council will receive income for each tonne of textiles collected through the scheme and will also receive the recycling credit from Essex County Council. In 2011/12 Essex Textiles will pay Uttlesford District Council 39 per tonne of material collected Trade Cardboard Recycling Collection The Trade Cardboard Recycling collection service currently operated by Uttlesford District Council is not covering costs, due to the fall in recent years in the value of cardboard. It is proposed that this service be removed with effect from April The Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2011 will require the introduction of separate collection of paper, metal, plastic & glass by Guidance received by Essex County Council via DEFRA and the Environment Agency Page 17 17

18 is that this will apply to trade waste collected by WCAs as well as household, therefore this will need further investigation nearer the time. 6. FUTURE WASTE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENTS 6.1. Final Disposal for Residual Waste Essex County Council is currently procuring residual waste treatment capacity for the county through PFI funded procurement. This has been driven by the JMWMS for Essex and Southend as a response to the decreasing amount of landfill capacity within Essex, the increasing cost of landfill, rising landfill tax, and increasing pressures to meet the targets set out in the Landfill Directive Essex County Council has purchased a site for development at Courtauld Road in Basildon and made this available to all bidders within the PFI procurement. All remaining bidders in the procurement process at this stage have elected to use the provided site for the development of the treatment facility. The development of the proposed facility will inevitably lead to a significant increase in the distances between the collection point of the residual waste and its ultimate disposal; therefore it is proposed that a network of transfer stations be built at key strategic locations throughout Essex to feed waste to the new facility/facilities Transfer Stations Essex County Council has purchased a site at Hoblongs Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow which will be used for the development of a transfer station. Uttlesford District Council will be directed by Essex County Council to this site for the disposal of residual waste and kitchen waste. Negotiations are ongoing at present to allow Uttlesford District Council to also use this site for the bulking of dry recyclable materials for onward transfer to the MRF. The use of the transfer station will reduce the costs associated with the current system of direct delivery of residual wastes to Roxwell landfill site and the delivery of residual wastes and food waste to WRG s transfer station in Haverhill for bulking and onward transport. Use of transfer stations will also avoid the need for the collection fleet to enter landfill sites, reducing maintenance costs Treatment for Food Waste Essex County Council is currently undertaking a further procurement exercise for the treatment of food waste. It is proposed that 2 sites are built within Essex for the treatment for food waste; Anaerobic Digestion is the preferred technology for the North area facility due to the collection methods used by the majority of the northern WCAs, and In-Vessel Composting has been chosen as the preferred technology for the South area facility. Food waste will be delivered to these new facilities through the network of transfer stations being developed. Page 18 18

19 7. FUTURE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS 7.1. MRF Capacity Contract The existing agreement for MRF capacity expires in March 2013, therefore an Online Journal of the European Union (OJEU) tender will need to be submitted in October 2012 for capacity to meet the needs to Uttlesford District Council. The current agreement which was brokered in partnership with Braintree District Council has worked favourably for both authorities and it is proposed that a future contract for MRF capacity be procured in partnership with other Essex Authorities to ensure that best value is achieved for all parties Essex Textiles Contract The trial agreement with Essex Textiles will expire in June It is proposed that if, following 6 months of the trial, the scheme has proved a success, that the council submit a tender through OJEU to obtain a long term contract for the provision of this service. Page 19 19

20 APPENDIX 1 UTTLEFSORD DISTRICT COUNCIL WHEELED BIN POLICY UTTLESFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL WHEELED BIN POLICY 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Uttlesford District Council provides a weekly alternate collection of residual household waste and recyclable materials. The service is based on the use of one 180 litre wheeled bin for residual waste and one 240 litre wheeled bin for recyclable waste, and the weekly collection of kitchen waste in 23 litre food waste caddies, collected from the curtilage of each property or at a point designated by the Council. In exceptional circumstances, decided by the council, communal bins or a box and bag system may be used to service certain properties. 1.2 The Council provides the first 240 litre and 180 litre wheeled bins and the first 23 litre food waste caddy, for the storage and collection of household waste and recyclable materials. The wheeled bins and food waste caddy remain the property of Uttlesford District Council at all times. If the householder moves to another property, the wheeled bins and food waste caddy should be left at the property for the new householder s use. Only wheeled bins supplied by the Council will be emptied. 2 PROPERTY/LOCATION 2.1 The standard issue for all properties will be one 240 litre and one 180 litre wheeled bin and a 23 litre food waste caddy. All properties will be expected to use the bins and food waste caddy unless the authority grants an exemption. 2.2 Only the authority can grant exemptions. The scheme is not optional and exemptions will usually meet one of the following criteria: a) The property is physically incapable of storing containers, anywhere within its boundary. Residents in these cases will use the box and bag system alongside the 23 litre food waste caddy, which should be placed out on the boundary of the property for collection, unless registered for an assisted collection. Page 20 20

21 Residents in these cases will retain their black or green recycling boxes and put them out for collection on the nominated day for combined dry recycling materials. On the alternating weeks they will set out their residual waste black sacks for kerbside collection. The number of black sacks will be limited to 4 per property. The food waste caddy will be used as per houses with the wheeled bin system. In the event that the recycling boxes become damaged or are lost, Uttlesford District Council will not be able to replace these containers. Residents will be asked to place their dry recyclables out for collection in either clear or white bin liners, carrier bags or cardboard boxes. b) The property is in multiple occupation (flats), in which case an alternative sized container may be used for shared use (i.e litre). c) Exceptional other circumstances 2.3 Failure to comply with the conditions of service will result in non-collection of waste, and residents will be responsible for making their own arrangements for its safe and appropriate disposal. 2.4 EXCLUSIONS Where the property is in a conservation area or within the curtilage of listed building (and other buildings in exceptional circumstances), where wheeled bins cannot be accommodated out of sight from the public domain they may be excluded and the property will remain on the boxed system. 3 ASSISTED COLLECTIONS 3.1 In special cases where ALL residents in the household are physically incapable of wheeling the bins and carrying the food waste caddy to the collection point, due to infirmity or disability, applications may be made for the Council to collect the bins and food waste caddy from within the boundary of the property and return after emptying on behalf of the resident at no charge. 3.2 Absent residents and properties where some occupiers are able, (including caretakers etc.) will not be eligible for assisted collections. Houses of multiple occupation will be individually assessed. 3.3 Properties where it is simply inconvenient (i.e. long private drive, small number of steps) will not be eligible for assisted collections. NB. Common policy is to apply these criteria with a degree of individual assessment, for example what happens to infirm person who could wheel on even ground, but not up long drive most councils would supply with an assisted collection in these cases. 3.4 Where in the opinion of the authority the use of an assisted collection would be cost prohibitive and it would be more cost effective to leave premises on sacks, a sack collection may be used as the standard method of collection. For example in a bungalow complex of aged residents, in these circumstances collections may be limited to two black sacks per property. Page 21 21

22 4 TIMING 4.1 Wheeled bins and food waste caddies should only be put out no earlier than noon on the day prior to the day of collection, and not left at the curtilage for any longer than necessary. 4.2 Wheeled bins and food waste caddies should be put out for collection at the end of the property, at the point nearest to the highway (curtilage) but not on the highway, or at the collection point decided by the Council. 4.3 Wheeled bins and food waste caddies should be made available for collection on the collection day by placing them at the curtilage of the property or a place designated by the Council, with the handles of the bin facing the road, by no later than 7.00 am on the day of collection. 4.4 If the bin or caddy is not at the correct collection point at the time that the collection vehicle arrives the bin or caddy will not be emptied. The crew will not return to empty it until the next scheduled collection. 4.5 Wheeled bins and food waste caddies should not be placed on the highway, where they will obstruct cars, pedestrians or refuse collection vehicles. (This provision excludes private drives where it is up to the residents to find a suitable location). Care should be taken not to obstruct access by emergency vehicles. 5 LARGE FAMILY/SECOND RESIDUAL WASTE BIN 5.1 The residual waste wheeled bins are large enough to hold all normal household waste produced by households between collections without the need for additional bags or boxes, any additional waste placed beside the bin will not be collected. Only in exceptional circumstances, as decided by the Council, such as delayed collections, will excess household waste be collected. Special arrangements may be made for households with a high occupancy level. 5.2 Care should be taken not to overfill the residual waste bin. If the lid on the residual waste bin cannot be closed, the bin will not be emptied. Care should also be taken to ensure that the bin is not too heavy for the machine to lift through overcompacting the waste. The removal of compacted waste not released from the bin during the collection process, and waste in bins which are too heavy for the vehicle to empty is the responsibility of the householder. 5.3 The lid of the residual waste bin should be kept closed at all times when not in use to deter access by flies and vermin and to avoid rainwater entering the bin. 5.4 Large families (i.e. more than 6 residents in full time occupation) may apply in writing for extra capacity for storage of their residual waste. Extra capacity will be supplied in the form of an additional 180 litre wheeled bin when the authority is satisfied that every reasonable effort has been made to divert waste through the recycling bin and food waste caddy, and extra waste is generated on a regular basis. Page 22 22