Agenda item

Wiltshire Council’s Salisbury Area Board is hosting a public debate on the topic of plastic waste and how we can all help locally to reduce it.  Wiltshire Council is adapting its recycling strategy to help with this.  Join in discussions on what more we can all do in Salisbury to recycle and make better decisions as consumers.

 

The Board welcomed Tracy Carter Director for Waste & Environment, and Vicki Harris, Interim Principal Waste Services Officer, who gave a presentation. The main points were:

 

The Council was in the process of developing a household waste management strategy, working towards zero tolerance to waste.

 

·       DEFRA has a 25 Year Environment Plan – achievement date 2042

·       Commitment to phase out avoidable plastic waste where technically, environmentally and economically practicable.

·       The plan sets out over thirty action points:

o   Half related to tackling plastic waste

o   Three related to tackling waste food.

o   Two related to reducing the amount impact of litter.

o   Seven action points on recycling.

 The following priorities were identified within the strategy document:

•        Waste prevention

•        Repair and reuse

•        Recycling and composting

•        Energy from waste

•        Litter and fly tipping 

 

Priority 1 – Waste Preventon

•        The council would work with national, regional and local partners to provide advice and information to encourage residents to reduce the amount of household waste they create.

•        Actions included working with Area Boards, town and parish councils and their communities to reduce waste created at home.

•        Engagement with government organisations in the development of initiatives to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced.

 

Priority 2 – Reuse and Repair

•        The council would work with local reuse organisations and contractors to increase the opportunity for items to be repaired and reused.

•        We will work with town and parish councils to run community events such as repair cafes and swap shops.

•        We will work with providers to separate reusable waste at household recycling centres.

 

Priority 3 – Recycling and Composting

•        The council would continue to ensure that cost effective and efficient recycling services were provided so that residents were able to recycle a range of materials as easily as possible.

 

•        Actions include collecting

•        plastic pots, tubs and trays

•        drink and food cartons

 

From 30 July along with the usual plastic bottles and cardboard in the blue lidded bins.

 

What happens to plastics once collected?

 

•        Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, cardboard, drink and food cartons, shredded paper and brown paper collected in blue bins is taken to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) based in Calne.

•        Plastic bottles and cardboard are mechanically separated from each other and contaminants removed.

•        The plastics and cartons are then further optically sorted into polymer types.

•        The materials are then baled and are sent to the relevant re-processors.

 

 

The Chairman highlighted a project to bring a water fountain into the square in Salisbury for people to refill their own containers rather than having to buy plastic bottles. This initiative saw the first installation of a water fountain around a month ago. Since then SCC had been contacted by a further two companies who wished to provide a further two fountains.

 

The initiative was hoping to produce a Salisbury drinking bottle for a small cost, to be used and refilled. Aimed at local residents and tourists, as this idea had been successfully operated in other countries already.

 

Any ideas on the production of the bottle scheme please contact the Community Engagement Manager karen.linaker@wiltshire.gov.uk 

 

Following the presentation questions were taken, these included:

 

• Were Tetrapak’s now able to be recycled? Answer: Yes, but as Tetrapak was a trade name, these are included in our reference as food and drink containers.
• Why can’t we have a doorstep food waste recycling service? Answer: We carried out a consultation last year and very few people were in favour of a county wide food waste collection service, with only 17% of those who responded in support. This would be something that would be quite costly to run. We will keep it under review and may revisit in the future.  We do subsidise food waste digesters for sale.
• Why aren’t we able to put potato peelings in green garden waste? Answer: We operate a system called Open Windrow Composting for our green garden waste. If we introduce food waste we would then have to use an alternative way of composting and this would be more expensive.
• Cllr Dean – I want to congratulate Tracy and her team – with some of the difficulties some councils were facing in recycling, I am pleased that Wiltshire has managed to find ways to recycle for us. There are issues for kerb side recycling of food products in areas close to rivers as this can attract rats. I understand that WC is having a depot review, what form was that taking and what input would people have, as I would be vocal for Churchfields to have longer opening hours in the summer. Answer: The depot review was at an early stage. We are focusing on our operational depots at present – so these are the winter maintenance depots, where we store salt and house our gritters. Many household recycling centres around our county were not attached to depots, as Churchfields is. We appreciate the recycling centre is not ideal in Salisbury, the range of materials we collect there now can mean we have traffic issues.
• Eco bricks – there is another option – would like to see this promoted around Salisbury. Further info can be found online at:

www.goodfair.co.uk We are based in Cross Keys shopping centre, Salisbury.

• Can I put plastic straws in to the recycling bin? Answer: I don’t know we will find out.

 

 

The Board then heard from Mike Lennard from Transition City a local action group.

 

There were companies that used recycled plastic to build houses with and it is stronger than concrete. There was also tarmac which is part mixed with plastic. I am sure there are opportunities for WC to make some money from initiatives such as these. Waste goes onto farmland for fertilizer. www.salisburytransition.org

 

One of the outcomes of the meeting would be to call on the services of Transition city to take on some of the actions arising from this evening.

 

The Community Engagement Manager, Karen Linaker explained the format for the roundtable discussions which then took place.

 

In groups people were asked to consider:

 

1.     What we as the consumer could do better in Salisbury to reduce plastic waste?

2.     What would we like to see local businesses, and local organisations whether government, schools, churches, or charities do to reduce plastic waste in Salisbury?

3.     How could we support each other in this work?

 

Facilitators then fed back two key points from each table. These included:

 

•        Black plastic – There was concern with not being able to recycle this – we thought that the colour should change, then it could be recycled.

•        The cost of commercial collections was too expensive so many businesses did not recycle because of the cost.

•        To run a national deposit back scheme, not just for glass and plastic but also packaging.

•        Return and refill containers –

•        WC to follow Swansea’s lead to build 6 recycled houses out of recycled plastic in the new development at Harnham – This would be pioneering if Salisbury could get on board.

•        The council could consider dual waste bins.

•        Rewards schemes could be given vouchers for returned plastics.

•        Simpler message to public of what can go in what bin – so people are sure.

•        Education – if we can get to children early enough and enforce the message that plastic is bad.

•        Bring your own container/bottle/bag – set up a scheme in Sal to incentivize retailers to ask people to bring their own bags.

•        Sustainable procurements – recognition for local retailers who were going the extra mile.

•        Additional bins on the street for recycling

•        More community led pressure to limit waste prevention – talk to businesses and hospital etc

•        Communication and education more wide ranging, more fun– make it regular and access to it for all.

•        More awareness raising about the bricks that were mentioned.

•        Helping local businesses reduce – Styrofoam, black plastic and packaging.

 

The Chairman welcomed Richard Meaburn from Waitrose, ran through their Plastic Plan, detailing what had already been achieved and what was planned for the future. A copy of his update is attached to these minutes.

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for taking part and noted that the Board would re-visit this theme in one year’s time, but in the meantime, there would be updates at future Boards when necessary.