COSLA
EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
2011
2011 APPLICATION FORM
Please refer to the ‘2011 Guidance for Applicants’ before completing this application
form.
The deadline for submission of entries is 5pm on Friday 8 October 2010. Further
guidance is available at http://www.awards.cosla.gov.uk. Submission arrangements
are detailed at the end of this application form.
The application form is split over four sections to reflect the assessment criteria, and to
facilitate the leeting process. It is up to you to decide the content and length of each
section, but your application must not exceed three pages in total (excluding the
cover pages).
CATEGORY TITLE Promoting Sustainability
Project Name Clackmannanshire Sustainable Waste Management
Lead Organisation Clackmannanshire Council
Department/ Team Waste Services
Participant or Partner
Names
Award coordinator
Contact details
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Ruth Fry, Communications and Marketing Team Leader
<email and telephone details>
Can we publish this application form on our website?
FOR INTERNAL USE
YES
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In one short paragraph please describe this project and what it has achieved.
We will use this in any future publicity material.
'Waste not, want not' as the saying goes, and Clackmannanshire Council has proved it by being the country's
top performing recycler for 5 of the previous 6 years. The Council reached a record recycling level of 46.7% of
municipal waste recycled or composted in 2009/10, saving waste from landfill and the Council from excess
costs.
Through a strategy of careful planning and citizen consultation Clackmannanshire has delivered a sustainable
waste management system providing excellent results for the Council, its environment and meeting the
expectations of its citizens. The Council has set the standard for Scotland's Zero Waste journey. With a high
profile community sector involvement and partnerships with neighbouring councils Clackmannanshire
consistently delivers sustainable waste management of the highest standard.
PLANNING
· a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs
· contributes to organisation’s goals, community plan and SOA, and national policy context
From the early stages of Scotland's first national waste plan Clackmannanshire recognised that success would
be the result of a journey that involved all its stakeholders to play their part turning waste into resources.
From the outset Clackmannanshire recognised that no single solution would provide a sustainable outcome.
Whole community buy in was essential. Recognising that engagement with citizens was vital
Clackmannanshire designed and delivered an award winning high-impact awareness campaign. Awareness
raising was coordinated with a reliable high quality on-street service delivery to ensure maximum confidence
and participation from the public.
Throughout the process Clackmannanshire and its neighbouring Forth Valley councils maintained a joint
elected member group to shadow the formal area waste planning set up. This innovative structure maximised
opportunities for joint working and provided a clear communication path for political engagement.
Repeat citizen surveys revealed high public satisfaction and showed shifting expectations together with an
increasing sophistication in the understanding of waste and its environmental impact. As a result of citizen
surveys, service delivery was adapted to meet public expectations and balance the Council's desire for
sustainability with the increasing pressure from waste diversion targets.
Having engagement at all levels allowed the Council to be confident that it was meeting national policy
objectives and the expectations of its community partners.
DELIVERING
· implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders
· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
Maximum opportunity and ease of use is the cornerstone of Clackmannanshire's success. By listening to its
citizens Clackmannanshire knew that reliable and easy to use systems would deliver maximum results and
meet public expectation. Balanced with careful analysis of its waste stream and prudent deployment of
resources the Council rolled out recycling systems to reach over 99% of its households and tackle the needs of
its commercial sector. The vast majority of households have kerb side collections, making recycling easy and
convenient, while we give out leaflets and fridge magnets as well as information in the Council newspaper to
keep people informed of collection days and what can be recycled. Adapting these systems in response to
changing customer needs and pressures on the Council has kept the Council at the forefront of sustainable
waste management.
The repeated annual high performance and successful programme delivery is evidenced by statutory
performance indicators and the results of customer surveys and in-service monitoring.
Internal service reorganisation to deliver these new services has created workforce development
opportunities. Local employment has benefited from this whole community approach with genuinely
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2011
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sustainable local jobs being created. A mainstay of the Council's strategy is to seek local solutions to local
waste issues that bring benefit to the wider Clackmannanshire community.
INNOVATION +
LEADING PRACTICE
· Demonstrates leading practice
· Achieves genuine innovation or new ways of working
In setting the standard for Scotland, Clackmannanshire has developed a number of ground-breaking firsts.
Notable has been the collection of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) as a regular kerbside
service integrated with its mainstream recycling. This takes maximises service capacity and takes advantage of
the opportunity created by the WEEE producer responsibility scheme to reduce the Council's costs and
improve sustainability.
Maximising community involvement has featured highly through the use of innovative procurement evaluation
to include community benefit in the delivery of its tender for kerbside recycling box collection. The service
won in open tender by local not for profit ACE Recycling (Alloa Community Enterprises Ltd.), has seen an
embryonic community group develop into a secure 7 year relationship delivering high quality front line
services with added community benefits most suited to Clackmannanshire's wider SOA commitments.
In another leading example of Recycling Centre operation, Clackmannanshire has developed an over the
counter system for waste reception to maximise the return from household waste, create employment and
increase sustainability.
RESULTS + IMPACT
· a convincing mix of customer perception and internal performance measures
· clear line of sight to the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement
· a full range of relevant results showing improvement over time
Evidence of Clackmannanshire Council's successful implementation of its sustainable waste management
system is demonstrated by the audited and verified annual statutory performance indicator and landfill
allowance scheme reporting to SEPA.
Year-on-year reporting of recycling performance is as follows:
Year
Recycling Position
2003/04
9.7%
25th
2004/05
38.1%
1st
2005/06
40.2%
1st
2006/07
43.6%
1st
2007/08
42.2%
2nd
2008/09
44.9%
1st
2009/10
46.7%
1st
Customer satisfaction with the service has been demonstrated by survey work undertaken by the Council using
it's Clacks 1,000 survey. Survey results in May 2008 showed the following:
"….of respondents who currently recycle, the most important reason for their participation in the Council’s
recycling scheme is because it allows them to recycle at home (91%). The fact that the scheme is easy to use is
also seen as important by a high proportion of all respondents (90%). A minority of Panel members say they
use the scheme because they are motivated by campaigns or adverts or as a result of peer pressure."
And:
"The most significant benefit of recycling, according to 93% of respondents who currently recycle, is that it
reduces landfill. A large proportion also recognise that it helps to save resources (84%), it reduces waste in the
green bin (78%), and 72% state that they feel better being able to recycle easily. A slightly lower proportion
(though still well over half) feel that recycling helps the local community become aware of their environment
(68%), and that it creates jobs (62%)."
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2011
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Next steps
 Have you answered the assessment criteria set out in the guidance?
 Is your application form 3 pages or less? (anything more, including
appendices, will be automatically rejected)
 Has your application form been authorised by an appropriate person?
 Have you indicated whether you wish the application form to be
published?
Submitting your application
Please email your application by 8 October to:
Category 1 submissions
exawards2011-1@cosla.gov.uk
Category 2 submissions
exawards2011-2@cosla.gov.uk
Category 3 submissions
exawards2011-3@cosla.gov.uk
Category 4 submissions
exawards2011-4@cosla.gov.uk
Category 5 submissions
exawards2011-5@cosla.gov.uk
Category 6 submissions
exawards2011-6@cosla.gov.uk
Category 7 submissions
exawards2011-7@cosla.gov.uk
Queries surrounding the submission of applications can be made to:
Adam Stewart (adam.stewart@cosla.gov.uk / 0131 474 9275)