The Committee was presented with the Waste Management Team Annual Report for 2023-24. The report provided an overview of the work of the waste management service which detailed how dynamic and responsive the service was in response to the challenges it faced together with the performance targets it had and continued to meet.

The Waste Projects and Compliance Officer highlighted key aspects from the report, in particular:-

·        Completed projects/service improvements during 2023/24;

·        Ongoing projects/service improvements; and

·        Watch this space projects for 2024/25.

The Committee considered the report and highlighted the following:-

·        concern was expressed regarding flats recycling and food waste as in some areas it looked unsightly for example Harmer Street. The Assistant Director (Operations) advised that this was an issue that the waste management service was aware of and were looking at ways to resolve the issue for example ‘designing out’ the issues by ensuring that when future flats are built, dwellings converted etc that proper bin stores are put in place. With regard to Hamer Street, the Assistant Director (Operations) advised that this was an access issue;

·        there were a number of good news stories/projects such as the ‘New Clothing & Textiles Contract with the Salvation Army’ and ‘Recycle Your Electricals Project’, it was important for these to be well communicated/publicised;

·        the Committee asked for the locations of the Salvation Army donation banks. The Waste Projects and Compliance Officer advised that he would provide Members with a list of the locations;

·        the Committee noted the ‘Battery Recycling Project’ and asked whether vapes could be recycled. The  Waste Projects and Compliance Officer advised that there was currently no provision in place for the recycling of vapes as they would need to be dismantled in order to be recycled etc. The Committee was informed that there was a container at Pepperhill Household Waste Recycling Centre where vapes could be disposed of and that the Government was currently exploring a return scheme so that vapes could be returned to retailers for recycling;

·        the Committee commended the work of the Street Champions; it was felt that all Members should be encouraged to, and should encourage their constituents, to sign-up as Street Champions. The Chair asked if a map could be circulated to Members to highlight those areas where support was required. However, it was also highlighted that the role of being a Street Champion can be demoralising when there is repeated littering and that there needed to be more focus/campaigning on anti-littering including multiple languages. It was felt that further campaign work could also beundertaken onrecycling contamination. The  Waste Projects and Compliance Officer advised that the Council could look to refresh its littering campaign and that it was always exploring grant funding opportunities to fund/expand campaigning;

·        with regard to the ‘Recycle Your Electricals Project’, the Committee asked whether there was income and/or expenditure related to these projects. The  Waste Projects and Compliance Officer advised that grant funding would usually be available for these types of projects; and

·        concern was expressed regarding street cleaning outside of shops and missed bins, the Assistant Director (Operations) advised that the reporting figures for both were low however encouraged all Members, including their constituents, to report any areas of concerns to himself and/or the waste management service.

The Committee noted the report and thanked the waste management service for their ongoing hard work.