Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Hughes introduced the report and explained that the Council supported the declarations made by Welsh Government (WG) for the Public Sector to become net zero by 2030 and in December 2019 the Cabinet Members approved a motion to develop a clear Climate Change Strategy, which will set key aims and actions for creating a carbon neutral organisation.

Reducing consumption and increasing reuse and recycling to save precious resource was a key part of reaching net zero.

The draft Resources and Waste Strategy set out the strategic direction to reduce waste and exceed WG statutory recycling targets.  Without action the Authority was at risk of circa £1.13m fines for failing to achieve those targets in 2021/2022 and 2022/2023, as well as a further risk of similar fines in 2023/2024.

The new Strategy demonstrated to the Minister the Council’s commitment to make change.  The report sought approval to undertake a consultation exercise on the draft Resources and Waste Strategy.

The Chief Officer (Streetscene and Transportation) emphasised the risk of possible infraction fines for not achieving the statutory recycling targets and said that, without significant service changes, it was unlikely that the targets would be met.   The Chief Officer also highlighted the compositional analysis, which showed that 58% of what went into the residual waste bin could have been recycled using the existing services, of which 30% was food waste. 

The focus of the new Resources and Waste Strategy was to support residents and communities to avoid waste and to promote the reuse of valuable materials and, where that was not possible, then to enable residents to recycle items with disposal through the residual stream as the last resort.

Alongside the mandate to educate the public on recycling and undertaking enforcement, further work had been requested by the Minister for the authority to provide a more well thought through, realistic and evidence-based action plan as part of the Resources and Waste Strategy.  It would require a collective effort and the Chief Officer explained that it was important that residents and communities had the opportunity to shape the proposals, which would require that a full consultation take place. 

The consultation would be launched on 1^st December and run through to 12^th January.  It would take the form of a short online survey, a series of face-to-face drop-in events, briefings for Members and Town and Community Councils and, where access to the online survey was not possible, paper surveys would be provided.

Members supported the report and the upcoming consultation.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That Cabinet acknowledges the progress made on achieving a robust and effective Resources and Waste Strategy to meet net zero targets and mitigate against the risk of fines and achieve statutory recycling targets; and

(b)       That the commencement of a consultation exercise on the authority’s draft Resources and Waste Strategy be approved.