General Waste Update
Argyll and Bute Council · 12 September 2024
Back to Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee — 12 September 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE ROAD AND INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 GENERAL WASTE UPDATE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report is to provide members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee with an update on a number of waste related matters, specifically on the capital funding request to support compliance with the landfill ban; the Circular Economy Bill and the Waste Composition Analysis undertaken by Zero Waste Scotland. 2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Members of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee:- i. Notes that the Scottish Government have made £1.5million of capital funding available to the Council to support compliance with the landfill ban; ii. Notes that officers will bring forward a progress update along with a plan and timescales which details the steps the Council requires to take to get to a complaint solution by the end of 2025 to the December Committee Meeting; iii. Notes that the Circular Economy Bill was passed in Scottish Parliament on 26 June 2024; and iv. Considers the content of the waste composition analysis and the outputs from the attached report (Appendix 1). 3.0 DETAIL BMW Landfill Ban 3.1 The previous report to the Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee in June 2024 advised that officers were still pursuing the Scottish Government to seek additional funding. 3.2 The acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy wrote to the Leader of the Council on 9 July to confirm their intention to make £1.5 million in capital funding available to support compliance with the landfill ban through the development of relevant, necessary infrastructure. Officers are working closely with Renewi to progress the necessary changes to infrastructure required.
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3.3 Officers have engaged the services of Caledonian Economics to refresh previous revenue and capital figures relating to the landfill ban. This detail and further updates setting out the steps the Council require to take to reach a compliant solution by the end of 2025 will be taken to the next EDI Committee in December. Circular Economy 3.4 At the June 2024 Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, members were provided with an update in regards to the Circular Economy Bill. The Bill has now been passed in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June 2024. 3.5 The full implications of the Circular Economy Bill are not yet fully known. The most prominent change for the Council could be what is included within the statutory code of practice for household waste and recycling. The implications of this aspect are not fully known at this time and it is likely to be during 2025/2026 when details on this are available. 3.6 Details of the full Circular Economy Bill can be accessed through the following hyper link: Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill – Bills (proposed laws) – Scottish Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website Waste Composition Analysis – Zero Waste Scotland 3.6.1 Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) provided assistance to the Council to carry out a waste composition analysis. Islay plus Oban and Lorn were chosen as the locations for this as both had facilities at the waste disposal sites, Gartbreck on Islay (Council operated) and Moleigh in Oban which is operated by Renewi, both these sites were suitable for a contractor to carry out the work. • Over 10% of the residual waste bin contents could have been placed in the blue recycling bin for paper, card, plastic bottles/tubs/pots and cans; • Over 50% of the residual waste bin contents could potentially be recycled, if additional recycling services were provided e.g. food waste and green garden waste collections and/or through waste minimisation measures at home e.g. reduction in food waste and increased home composting; • Of the potentially non-recyclable items in the residual bin, pet litter/excrement (circa 6%) and disposable nappies (circa 4%) were two of the most prominent; • In the blue recycling bin, circa 20% of the contents should not have been placed in the bin as the items were non-target/contaminated e.g. soft plastic film, glass or food contaminated materials. 3.6.2 The Council currently provide a food waste service in Helensburgh and Lomond (H&L). Officers considered costings for an Argyll wide food waste service in 2021. The cost of providing such a service throughout Argyll including H&L was circa £1.6m at that time in revenue funding, this includes both Waste Disposal and Collection costs. In addition to the revenue costs, a one-off capital cost required for providing food caddies and infrastructure was estimated to be £0.3m.
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3.6.3 To potentially increase recycling, we have enhanced our communications message, the roll out of the social media campaign has been supported by Zero Waste Scotland. The information output from this work will feature in a revisal of the Council’s Waste and Recycling strategy. 4.0 CONCLUSION 4.1 Following confirmation of funding from Scottish Government, the Council is working with Renewi to progress converting existing site infrastructure into Waste Transfer Stations to comply with the landfill ban. The Circular Economy Bill is now passed. However, the implications from this Bill are not fully known. Officers await further communication regarding the Bill and the implications it will have on the authority and the communities it serves. With the support of ZWS, the composition analysis is now complete, the full report is noted as Appendix 1. Continuous campaigns surrounding waste material will continue to allow residents and communities to take more responsible actions relating to recycling and waste in general. 5.0 IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – The Council’s Waste Strategy will evolve in line with the changes in legislation relating to the landfill ban and circular economy bill. The current Renewi contract will be varied to comply with legislative changes. 5.2 Financial – Compliance with the Landfill ban by the end of 2025 will require financial resource from the Council. The Scottish Government have committed £1.5m of capital funding available to the Council to support compliance with the landfill ban. It is unknown at this time whether there will be financial implications relating to the implementation of the circular economy bill. The cost of an Argyll wide food waste service is estimated to be circa £1.6m in revenue costs and a one-off capital cost of £0.3m for food waste caddies and infrastructure requirements. 5.3 Legal – The existing PPP contract was not designed or written to accommodate the changes at the end of the landfill ban. The contract allows variations to be made although the process is quite cumbersome. There will be legal implications, which will need to be resolved, relating to a contract variation regarding the changes in Renewi’s contract. 5.4 HR – HR issues will be addressed prior to and during the process of contract handback. Having sufficient resource will factor into the project demands of waste management. TUPE will be relevant at the handback and during the process of progressing to handback should the Council operate the sites themselves. 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty: None.
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5.5.1 Equalities – None. 5.5.2 Socio-economic Duty – None. 5.5.3 Islands – There may be potential ferry capacity issues for bulking and transporting waste material from islands, this has been raised with Transport Scotland. 5.6 Climate Change – Transitioning from Landfill to Energy from Waste (EfW) would result in a reduction in the annual quantity of Greenhouse Gas generated in Argyll and Bute. Additional road miles incurred taking waste to EfW markets will partly offset the carbon reductions achieved through not landfilling. 5.7 Risk – A refresh of all Waste PPP costs are currently being undertaken. Risk may be prevalent, the Council requires the full detail of the changes imposed through the introduction of the circular economy bill to make informed judgement. Further risk is associated with costs required for a food waste service through Argyll and the inner isles. 5.8 Customer Service – None. 5.9 Rights of the Child – None arising from this report. Executive Director with responsibility for Roads and Infrastructure: Kirsty Flanagan Policy Lead for Roads, Transport and Amenity Services: Councillor John Armour September 2024 For further information contact: John Blake, Fleet, Waste and Transport Manager john.blake@argyll-bute.gov.uk APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Zero Waste Scotland – Composition Analysis – Islay/Oban and Lorn