The Way Forward for Waste

11 February, 2003

North Norfolk District Council is looking at two options for collecting and disposing of household waste, to meet tough new Government targets for recycling.

The Government has ruled that councils must double the amount of household waste they recycle by 2003/04. In North Norfolk, where the District Council's 'Same Day, Same Place' recycling scheme has been running since 1997 and getting positive results, that means the amount of waste recycled must jump from the 14 per cent level in 1998/99 (now actually standing at 15 per cent) to 28 per cent - and then even further in 2005/06.

The Same Day, Same Place scheme cannot be 'tinkered with' to accommodate the kind of volume of recyclables the Council must now deal with. So in September last year, the Council asked its residents to choose between five options (all of them more expensive than the current arrangement) involving different combinations of types and sizes of rubbish container, and different frequencies of collection.

The questionnaire was sent to all 50,000 North Norfolk households, and an astonishing 23 per cent of them were returned. The most popular option (Option 1 of the five, the first choice of 28.7 per cent of households) is to have a weekly collection of a 140-litre wheeled bin for normal waste and a fortnightly collection of a 240-litre wheeled recyclables bin (at an estimated extra cost of £21.64 per household a year).

The Council's Waste Working Group considered the consultation responses in November, and recommended that another of the options also be considered because it is cheaper, but still involves the use of wheeled bins (which were popular among respondents - 79.1 per cent wanting wheeled bins of some size). This system, Option 4, would see an alternate fortnightly collection using a 240-litre wheeled bin for normal refuse one week, and a 240-litre wheeled bin for recyclables the following week. This would cost an estimated extra £10.04 per household a year.

Last month, the Council's Executive Committee discussed the consultation responses, the recommendations of the Waste Working Group, provisional cost estimates for all five options, and a draft wheeled bin policy.

The draft wheeled bin policy makes provisions for people who would have difficulty moving or using a wheeled bin, and sets out precisely what rubbish will or will not be collected if it is not placed inside the bin, or if the recyclables are contaminated with non-recyclable rubbish. Importantly, the policy (in its draft form) allows for plastics to be collected for recycling (which the present system does not allow).

The tender process is under way. The Executive Committee agreed that specifications for Options 1 and 4 be drawn up for consultation with the supply industry and organisations like the North Norfolk Disability Forum. This two-pronged approach also allows detailed costings to be established during the tender process as more information is received.

A shortlist of potential contractors (from expressions of interest received by the closing date of 14 February) and the final specification for the contract are due to be agreed by the Full Council on 23 April. Formal tenders will then be invited, with those tenders analysed and tendering companies interviewed over the summer, and a contractor should be appointed in the autumn.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITOR

The options consulted upon in September, and the consultation responses, were as follows:

Option 1 - 28.7% votes as first choice, 22.6% votes as second choice (26.9% weighted average, using a ratio of 2:1 in favour of first choice against second choice popularity):
- Normal waste collected weekly using 140-litre wheeled bin
- Recyclables collected fortnightly using 240-litre wheeled bin
Estimated extra cost per household per year: £21.64

Option 2 - 12.1% votes as first choice, 14.2% votes as second choice (12.7% weighted average):
- Normal waste collected alternate weeks using 240-litre wheeled bin
- Recyclables collected alternate weeks using 55-litre open-topped box
Estimated extra cost per household per year: £6.03

Option 3 - 20.9% votes as first choice, 11.8% votes as second choice (18.2% weighted average):
- Normal waste collected weekly using 80-litre black plastic sacks
- Recyclables collected fortnightly using 55-litre open-topped box
Estimated extra cost per household per year: £15

Option 4 - 18.5% votes as first choice, 23.2% votes as second choice (19.8% weighted average):
- Normal waste collected alternate weeks using 240-litre wheeled bin
- Recyclables collected alternate weeks using 240-litre wheeled bin
Estimated extra cost per household per year: £10.04

Option 5 - 19.8% votes as first choice, 28.1% votes as second choice (22.3% weighted average):
- Normal waste collected weekly using 140-litre wheeled bin
- Recyclables collected fortnightly using 55-litre open-topped box
Estimated extra cost per household per year: £18.44

The District Council must recycle 36 per cent of household waste by 2005/06, and 45 per cent (to be confirmed) by 2015.

For more information contact John Peet, Contracts Division Manager, on 01263 516195.