Annual Recycling Performance Report
Argyll and Bute Council · 11 September 2024
Back to Oban Lorn & The Isles Area Committee — 11 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES AREA COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2024 RECYCLING AND RECOVERY PERFORMANCE 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Argyll and Bute Council is both a waste collection and waste disposal authority. 1.2 Waste disposal is dealt with by 3 separate models across the council as follows: • Island sites e.g. on Mull and Islay where landfill sites are operated directly by the council; • Helensburgh and Lomond area where waste is disposed of at sites outside of Argyll and Bute; • A 25 year (2001 – 2026) Waste PPP contract which covers the rest of Argyll and Bute. 1.3 Waste figures for all four administrative areas have been summarised within this report. Due to the way the reporting is carried out it is not possible to accurately break down the information on an area by area basis for all data. 1.4 National policy decisions, guidance and regulations e.g. relating to the Biodegradable Municipal Waste landfill ban will have a significant impact on future recycling, composting and recovery performance. 1.5 It is recommended that Members note and give consideration to the details as outlined in this report and the national policy drivers that will likely impact over the coming years.
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL MID ARGYLL KINTYRE AND ISLANDS AREA COMMITTEE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2024 RECYCLING AND RECOVERY PERFORMANCE 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 Argyll and Bute Council is both a waste collection and waste disposal authority. Recycling, composting and recovery (i.e. other landfill diversion) statistics are reported quarterly within the council’s performance management system. Statutory returns to SEPA e.g. licensed site tonnage, landfill tax and waste data flow vary from quarterly to annual. 2.2 This report provides details on the council’s recycling and landfill diversion performance along with national policy, targets and regulations which are likely to impact on future performance. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 It is recommended that Members note and give consideration to the details as outlined in this report and the national policy drivers that will likely impact over the coming years. 4.0 DETAILS 4.1 The Council’s waste strategy was approved by the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee in September 2019. Whilst this strategy will emerge in line with government guidance, regulation legislation, and contractual requirements the Strategy is predicated on the model shown below in Figure 1.
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Figure 1 4.2 Argyll and Bute Council operates a performance management system. Quarterly recycling/composting, recovery and landfill percentages are included and split between the Islands waste disposal sites, Waste Management PPP and Helensburgh/Lomond areas. These details include: • percentage of waste recycled and composted; • percentage of waste recovered e.g. other landfill diversion; • combined percentage of waste recycled, composted and recovered; • percentage of waste to landfill; • tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill. Percentages Summary of Landfill, Recycling, Composting and Recovery 2022 and 2023 2022 2023 Argyll & Bute wide % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 51.8% 53.0% % waste recycled and composted 37.6% 43.3% % waste recovered 14.2% 9.7% % waste landfilled 48.2% 47.0% Tonnes of municipal waste to landfill 28,265 30,872
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Waste PPP % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 57.6% 61.2% % waste recycled and composted 36.3% 46.0% % waste recovered 21.3% 15.2% % waste landfilled 42.4% 38.8% Helensburgh & Lomond % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 44.7% 39.5% % waste recycled and composted 40.6% 39.3% % waste recovered 4.2% 0.2% % waste landfilled 55.3% 60.5% Islands % of waste recycled, composted and recovered 37.3% 36.3% % waste recycled and composted 36.7% 36.3% % waste recovered 0.6% 0 % % waste landfilled 62.7% 63.7% 4.3 Some points to note are as follows: • There was an overall improvement in recycling performance in 2023 which was mainly due to an increase in green garden waste, soils and rubble tonnages recycled by Renewi from the PPP area. • There was a drop in recovery performance in 2023 compared to 2022. This was in part due to an energy from waste trial carried out by Renewi in the PPP area in 2022, whereby Renewi sent circa 1,500 tonnes of general mixed residual general waste to an energy from waste (EFW) plant in the central belt. A similar but smaller trial was carried out by Renewi in 2023, whereby a reduced amount of circa 700 tonnes of residual general waste was sent to EFW during the year. • The drop in recovery performance was also due to a reduction in recovery from the Helensburgh and Lomond area. Following The Scottish Government introduction of a Landfill Tax Abatement Order legislation in 2022, Barr Environmental decided to discontinue their waste treatment plant from July 2022 and landfill all residual general waste at their Auchencarroch landfill site near Alexandria. With no recycling or recovery occurring from the mixed general waste at the Barr site from July 2022 onwards, this had a
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negative impact on overall recycling and recovery rates from the Helensburgh and Lomond area. The negative impact affected 6 months of figures in 2022 and the full year in 2023.This also had a minor impact on the Islands waste recovery rate which fell from 0.6% in 2022 to 0% in 2023 as the Tiree/Coll general waste was transferred to the mainland and disposed of at the Auchencarroch site. • The overall combined recycled, composted and recovery rate however increased from 51.8% in 2022 to 53% in 2023. This is mainly due to the increased recycling in the PPP area described in the first bullet point above. • The recovery in the Waste PPP area is carried out by Renewi mainly through residual waste mechanical biological treatment plants based at their waste facilities near Oban, Dunoon and Lochgilphead. In 2022 and 2023 Renewi also sent some residual general waste to an energy from waste (EFW) plant in the central belt. Waste sent for energy from waste is also classed as recovery. • The recovery in the Helensburgh and Lomond area was carried out by Barr Environmental at their Auchencarroch waste facility, near Alexandria. As described, Barr ceased operation of their mixed residual waste treatment plant following The Scottish Government Landfill Tax Abatement Order which was introduced from July 2022. Since July 2022 until the end of 2023, Barr landfilled all mixed general waste at their Auchencarroch Landfill Site. In January 2024, Barr Environmental closed the Auchencarroch landfill site and ceased operations completely at the end of March 2024. Since January 2024, Helensburgh and Lomond’s general waste has been going for refuse derived fuel (RDF)/energy from waste which will see a significant increase in recovery tonnages for 2024. • Cardboard is consistently now the most prominent recycling material in the blue recycling bin (previously paper which was the highest proportion pre- pandemic). The increase in the cardboard proportion in recent years is likely due to more on-line purchasing while newspapers are not as widely purchased in hard copy compared to previous years. • The overall percentage waste to landfill in 2023 (47.0%) was a lower percentage than 2022 (48.2%) due to the increased recycling levels in the PPP area relating mainly to green garden waste ,soils and rubble. • The tonnage of municipal waste to landfill, however in 2023 (i.e. 30,872 tonnes) was more than in 2022 (i.e.28,365 tonnes).This was mainly due to the Renewi energy from waste trial being smaller in 2023 than in 2022, plus Barr Environmental landfilled all general waste in 2023 following the cessation of their waste treatment plant from July 2022. • Recycling and composting is mainly from recycling collections to households and businesses, bring sites and segregated wastes from recycling/civic amenity sites. Recovery is predominantly moisture/process loss and compost like output from mixed waste treatment plants operated by Renewi.
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In addition there was also some recovery from a Renewi energy from waste trial where some residual general waste was sent to an energy from waste plant in the central belt. • SEPA published annual recycling, recovery and landfill data for local authorities focuses mainly on recycling/composting from household waste and less on recovery in line with the waste hierarchy. Landfill Ban 4.4 The Waste (Scotland) Regulations were introduced by the Scottish Government in 2012 and included a landfill ban of biodegradable waste from 2021. 4.5 The landfill ban planned for 2021 was subsequently delayed by The Scottish Government until the end of 2025. This delay was welcomed by the Council and provided more time for alternative solutions and funding to be sought. An update report on the Waste PPP/Landfill Ban was included in the June 2024 Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee plus additional Scottish Government funding of £1.5 million towards compliance in the PPP contract area was announced in July this year. Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) 4.6 The UK Government had indicated a planned start date of October 2025 for a UK wide deposit return scheme, however this has since been delayed until 2027. 4.7 A UK wide DRS scheme may result in an overall increase in recycling including other environmental benefits e.g. current non-recyclers may use the scheme plus there should be less littering of such items. The scheme may however, see a slight reduction in Council recycling performance if plastic drinks bottles and cans are no longer handled by Council recycling collections albeit they should still be recycled in future via the UK wide DRS scheme. Scottish Government Circular Economy Bill 4.8 During June 2024, The Scottish Government published details of its Circular Economy Bill. Further details on these Scottish Government proposals and Bill have been and will be reported at future ED&I Committees as they progress. Some of the main proposals which relate to local authorities recycling are as follows: • A Duty of Care on households regarding their waste and recycling with new powers given to local authorities for the issuing of fixed penalties to enforce this. • Local Authorities will be required to comply with a statutory code of practice on recycling. • The Scottish Government will have the powers to set mandatory recycling targets on Local Authorities from 2030 onwards.
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5.0 CONCLUSION 5.1 In concluding this report, steady progress was made on overall recycling and composting performance during 2023. Recovery performance however decreased which resulted in increased tonnages to landfill in 2023. Landfill should be reduced in 2024 as the Barr Environmental Auchencarroch landfill site (near Alexandria) closed at the end of 2023.The council now uses alternative providers for the Helensburgh and Lomond general waste which now goes mainly for recovery e.g. refuse derived fuel/energy from waste. National Policy drivers such as the ban on municipal waste to landfill, the deposit return scheme and the circular economy bill will have significant implications for future recycling, composting and recovery performance. 6.0 IMPLICATIONS 6.1 Policy National policies and regulations will likely impact on future recycling, composting and recovery performance. The council’s policy is to reduce landfill. 6.2 Financial The end of 2025 ban on biodegradable waste to landfill will have financial implications. An update report was included in the June 2024 Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. 6.3 Legal The landfill ban is a legal requirement under the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Other legal requirements may likely result following The Scottish Government Circular Economy Bill e.g. statutory code of practice for recycling. 6.4 HR None known. 6.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: 6.5.1 Equalities – protected characteristics None known. 6.5.2 Socio-economic Duty None known. 6.5.3 Islands The landfill ban will require increased transport of waste off the islands of Mull and Islay from the Glengorm (Mull) and Gartbreck (Islay) waste and recycling facilities.
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6.6 Climate Change The landfill ban will significantly reduce methane emissions from landfill sites however there will be additional transport related emissions with waste having to travel longer distances for treatment/disposal. 6.7 Risk Risks to the council on the landfill ban and any other future statutory requirements are mainly financial. A future UK wide deposit return scheme for plastic drinks containers and cans will hopefully have an overall environmental benefit, although it may impact on council recycling rates. 6.8 Customer Services None at present. 6.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) None known Executive Director with Responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure Services: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead: Councilor John Armour For further information contact: John Blake – Fleet, Waste & Transport Manager