This report provides an update on the introduction of the main roll out of the kerbside food waste collection service and the change to 140 litre residual waste bins.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing an update on the roll out of the kerbside food waste collection service and the change to 140 litre residual waste bins.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was a summary of the Communications Campaign and at Appendix 2 a table of Monitoring data for Early Adopter areas.

The report explained that an early adopter initiative had encompassed over 3,000 households for 17 weeks and provided useful operational and communications insights which had helped inform the main roll out of the project in February 2021. Appendix 2 summarised the results of the early adopters and included the specific changes and learning outcomes which were applied to the main roll out.

For the main rollout 56,000 food waste bins, caddies, liners and leaflets had been delivered in January 2021 and the five new food waste collection rounds had begun on 1 February 2021 as planned.  The swap out of the 240l residual waste bins for the new 140l bins had begun as scheduled on 1 February 2021 and completed within the planned 10-week timetable.  The Service had received 963 requests for additional waste capacity between 1 and 26 February 2021, of which 582 had been approved, and had agreed to issue 641 additional recycling bins in accordance with the Waste Collection Service Standard policy.  In general, the swap out and replacement of residual bins had gone according to plan however, there had been some minor issues with bins being removed ahead of time before the replacement had been delivered as well as with 240l bins being removed when they should have been left, for example for clinical waste reasons.  The waste operations team was monitoring and resolving issues quickly as they arose and the Recycling and Enforcement team had supported the roll-out dealing with requests for additional waste capacity, additional recycling bins and ensuring residents had food waste bins, caddies and liners.

The final phase of the project was to roll out the introduction of a food waste collection service to the remaining 14,000 households living in high and low-rise flats in the borough. This was programmed to start in July 2021 and to be completed by the end of March 2022.  Individual internal caddies and caddy liners would still be provided to each household, however, rather than an external caddy per household, the required number of 240 litre communal food waste bins would be provided in the bin storage areas. Each of the block of flats would have the capacity needed for communal residual and recycling waste bins reassessed during this roll out.

The report also set out information on the revised project timetable, governance arrangements and communications campaign and reported that the provisional recycling rate following the first month of the new waste collection service was 45.78%, compared to a third quarter 2020/21 recycling rate of 33%.

Resolved –

(1)      That the progress to date of the project be noted;

(2)      That the proposed Phase 2 roll out timetable be agreed;

(3)      That a further update, including the results of the Phase 2 roll out be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.