Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Democratic Services that sets out a summary of evidence following consideration of this work item by the Board in October and November 2021. This item also notes the intention to continue this work in municipal year 2022/23.

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report setting out a summary of evidence following consideration of this work item by the Board in October and November 2021. This item also notes the intention to continue this work in municipal year 2022/23.

In attendance for this meeting were:

·  Cllr Mohammed Rafique– Executive Member for Environment & Housing

·  John Woolmer – Chief Officer Environmental Services

In response to Members questions and comments the Board were provided with the following information:

• Further scrutiny work in the next municipal year would be welcome as there are a number of key pieces of work being undertaken by Environmental Services at the moment. A composition analysis has now been completed which looks at the content of black and green bins and analysis of that is now underway. It is anticipated that this will have a significant impact on strategy development particularly around amounts of glass and food materials that are in the bins. A further piece of work is a carbon impact analysis both in terms of the service and the vehicles it operates but also, and perhaps more importantly, an assessment of carbon impact of different waste streams. This will enable analysis of green bin content from a carbon impact perspective. It is thought this would be a better strategic approach rather than measuring tonnages and percentages in terms of recycled material. The carbon impact work will be locally focussed and will enable Leeds to have some key information to inform the Future Waste Strategy. These two pieces of work can be brought back to the Board in the next municipal year. The Carbon impact work will also be shared with DEFRA and meetings are planned to develop the sharing of that information later in 2022.
• Responding to queries on food waste and when Leeds could see more in terms of food waste collection, the Board heard that Councils across the country have responded to a DEFRA consultation and the results of the consultation are awaited, they are expected this year. In addition, the Council does have regular dialogue with DEFRA to try to horizon scan for likely announcements around waste strategy. A key issue for Leeds is TEEP (Technically, Environmentally, Economically Practical) arrangements which enable local authorities to vary from legislation and deliver locally designed services. This could enable co-mingling of food and garden waste collections in the city subject to a successful TEEP arrangement with DEFRA. Funding details from Government, specifically on food waste, but also generally remains a key outstanding issue.
• The Board were informed that a letter had been issued to Government, signed by the Chair of Strategy and Resources and Environment, Housing and Communities Scrutiny Boards, on waste strategy development and highlighting the ambitions of Leeds and the need for the national agenda to move forward to enable enhanced services in the city.
• It was acknowledged that the Government has a major part to play in terms of strategy development but activity is ongoing in Leeds in terms of logistics of delivering more recycling with the possibility of pilots on either food or co-mingled recycling being developed in 2022/23 but all of this is dependent upon statistical analysis of waste in the city, through the carbon impact work and composition analysis.
• Members stressed the importance of resident views on recycling and what items should be recycled. It was also noted that the composition analysis can be impacted by when the analysis takes place in terms of different days and times of the week. On this last point members were reassured that the composition analysis was undertaken by a third party, independent of the Council, using a nationally recognised methodology and is considered to be statistically sound.
• Members received assurances that the recycling target at the RERF, whilst dependent upon recycling markets and to some extent global factors, was not set in stone and could be renegotiated and subject to possible review in the future. It was emphasised that ensuring black bins contain less recyclable material is the focus currently as opposed to recycling at the RERF.
• Textile recycling was also a focus of discussion. It was noted that textiles are a major contributor to carbon output and will be a major focus in terms of carbon impacts with a suggestion that more could be done, potentially with the third sector to increase recycling of textiles.

RESOLVED - To:

a) Note the contents of the report and the plans to return to this work in 2022/23 through the successor board.