Chichester District Council
Issue

Issue - meetings

Contamination Policy

Meeting: 06/02/2018 - Cabinet (Item 480)

480 Contaminated Recycling Bin Policy pdf icon PDF 56 KB

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and to make the following resolutions:

(1)  That the Contaminated Recycling Bin Policy as endorsed by the Waste and Recycling Panel be approved.

 

(2)  That delegated authority be granted to the Chichester Contract Services Manager to issue fixed penalties or other notices for waste and waste-receptacle related offences including (but not limited to) powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and sections 46A to 46D of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended).

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

That the Contaminated Recycling Bin Policy as endorsed by the Waste and Recycling Panel be approved.

 

RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL

 

That delegated authority be granted to the Chichester Contract Services Manager to issue fixed penalties or other notices for waste and waste-receptacle related offences including (but not limited to) powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and sections 46A to 46D of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended).

Minutes:

[Note The audio recording for this meeting reveals that for officer availability reasons this item was in fact taken after agenda item 12 but it appears in these minutes (as well as in the audio recording) in accordance with the published order of business in the agenda]

 

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its appendix.   

 

This item was introduced by Mr Barrow.  

 

Mrs Huggett was in attendance for this matter.

 

Mr Barrow highlighted first of all the very pleasing news that during the last two quarters CDC had achieved a 45% recycling rate, which constituted a significant improvement in the ongoing drive to achieve the 50% target to be met by 2020 (when its recycling campaign began the rate was 38%). This increase in the rate was the result of (a) the time and money invested by CDC in education about recycling and (b) the very conscientious, diligent efforts by the residents of Chichester District. There was, however, a very small minority of residents who continued to contaminate the contents of the burgundy recycling bins. It took only one household’s contaminated bin to cause the entire street’s recycling load to be rejected and taken to landfill instead. This was using up the increasingly limited availability of landfill space and deprived CDC of the much-needed recycling credits. There was an obvious need for CDC to have a clear policy for dealing with the persistent contamination of recycling bins. The proposed policy for adoption, utilising a two-stage and measured approach to this problem, was set out in the appendix. The views of the Waste and Recycling Panel were set out in paras 5.4 and 7.1 of the report. It was felt to be most unlikely that CDC would need to move to or, if it did, have to apply all parts of the second stage. The emphasis would continue to be first and foremost on education not enforcement.

 

In her supplementary remarks and answering members’ questions, Mrs Huggett said that officers expected the focus to be on the informal first stage in the proposed policy and the need to invoke the second stage would be a last resort. CDC was performing very well compared with many local authorities but this did not negate the need for a robust enforcement policy. The second recommendation (para 2.2) would require an amendment to CDC’s Constitution. The target was no more than 6% contamination in a full load; if over 10%, the load would be rejected at the transit site. Where possible, CDC crews would complete a visual inspection of each bin for any immediately obvious contaminants, which would be followed by an advisory letter sent to the household. The crews endeavoured to engage with residents as much as possible. There was always a risk that a passer-by could put a contaminant in a burgundy bin left on the roadside out for collection but this was much more likely to occur in communal bins, hence the additional measures provided for such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 480


 

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