Issue - meetings

Report from the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations.

Decision

1.     That Cabinet agrees to continue the existing food waste collection service until at least March 2022, utilising the food waste financial reserve to fund and subject to the annual budget approval process.

2.     That Cabinet supports in principle the ambition to expand food waste collections throughout the District, accepting that this will be dependent on future funding and/or the Government’s proposals to make the service a statutory requirement.

Considerations/reasons for decision

·       Report from the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations on Food Waste.

·       The success of the food waste trial initially funded by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership.

·       Customer support for the scheme.

·       The increase in clean recyclable waste and less residual waste for properties taking part in the food waste trial.

·       The food waste collection scheme supported DEFRA’s ambitions to rollout mandatory food waste collections nationally and aligned with their ‘Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England’ publication.

·       The decision taken by the Leader on 29 May 2020 to continue to deliver the food waste collection service to the existing area to 31 March 2021, following formal notification from Lincolnshire County Council that they were withdrawing support for food waste collection beyond the current year, which came to an end on 4 June 2020.

·       The Council’s recently approved Corporate Plan 2020-23 which included the key action to explore opportunities to build on the success of the food waste pilot and ensure the service is sustainable.

·       An ambition to expand food waste collections throughout the District, accepting that this would be dependent on future funding and/or the Government’s proposals to make the service a statutory requirement.

·       Support for the continuation of food waste collection from the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the positive feedback received from the Customer Survey.

Other options considered:

1)  Continue using the waste reserve funding until March 2022 on the existing food waste collection service. 

2)  Expand the service incrementally as funding becomes available from other waste income streams. This would be subject to Council priorities and the annual budget process.

3)  Stop the service.  This is not considered appropriate as the authority had vehicles equipped with pod collection units, which could operate effectively for the next two years before needing to be replaced.  There was potential for a mandatory service to be introduced by Government and SKDC funding had already been earmarked. 

On presenting the report, the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations spoke of the success of the food waste trial that had originally been funded by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership.  Participation levels in the scheme had exceeded expectations with 85% participation of those taking part in the trial. Recycling had increased and there had been a reduction in residual waste.  Although funding for the trial had been withdrawn by Lincolnshire County Council in June 2020, a decision had been made by the Leader to continue the existing service until 31 March 2021. 

The report recommended that the current food waste collection continued until March 2022 with the current households.  The ambition of the Council was to widen the food waste collection and an in principle decision was being sought to expand the food waste collection, which would depend on the budget available, and the Government’s aim of compulsory food waste collection.

On being put to the vote, it was AGREED:

1.    To continue the existing food waste collection service until at least March 2022, utilising the food waste financial reserve to fund and subject to the annual budget approval process.

2.    To support in principle the ambition to expand food waste collections throughout the District, accepting that this would be dependent on future funding and/or the Government’s proposals to make the service a statutory requirement.