For General Release REPORT TO: CABINET 16 OCTOBER 2012 AGENDA ITEM: SUBJECT: LEAD OFFICER: CABINET MEMBER: 6 COMPULSORY RECYCLING- CONSULTATION RESULTS TONY BROOKS, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC REALM COUNCILLOR THOMAS, CABINET MEMBER FOR HIGHWAYS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WARDS: ALL CORPORATE PRIORITY/POLICY CONTEXT: Increasing recycling within Croydon has been a high priority and target area for reducing costs. Services were changed in October 2011 to increase recycling and a move to compulsory recycling would assist in delivering increased service participation, reduce landfill costs and increased recycling rates. Improvements to waste reduction and recycling support the Council’s corporate priority of improving the environment. Increasing recycling rates, diverting waste from landfill, and improving the Council’s assets will also address the value for money key priority. FINANCIAL IMPACT Increasing recycling participation will increase recycling tonnage, whilst reducing landfill tonnage. Current landfill costs are approximately £106 per tonne and by reducing tonnage to landfill it is estimated that £200,000 savings can be achieved. The already high costs of landfill are exacerbated by the annual £8 escalator applied to the tax element of the cost of landfill per tonne, which for 2012/13 is £64 per tonne. Whilst there is a cost associated with the processing of recyclables, this is £30 per tonne, as opposed to £106 per tonne for the landfilling of waste representing a saving to the Council. FORWARD PLAN KEY DECISION REFERENCE NO.: 1164 This is a Key Decision as defined in the Council’s Constitution. The decision may be implemented from 1300 hours on the 5th working day after it is made, unless the decision is referred to the Scrutiny & Strategic Overview Committee by the requisite number of Councillors. 11 The Leader of the Council has delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out in the recommendations below 1. RECOMMENDATIONS The Cabinet is recommended to: 1.1 Consider the results of the public consultation regarding the introduction of Compulsory Recycling scheme. 1.2 Agree to the implementation of a Compulsory Recycling Scheme with effect from 1 January 2013. 1.1 2. 2.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Croydon has developed a comprehensive range of waste and recycling collection services, with the latest expansion to the service occurring in October 2011, when food waste collections were successfully introduced across the borough. 2.2 Recycling rates within the borough have improved from 16% in 2005/6 to 33% in 2010/11 and 38.1% during 2011/2012. This is against a backdrop of rapidly increasing costs associated with the landfilling of waste due to the annual £8 increment on the per tonne cost of landfill tax, currently £64 per tonne and due to increase to £80 per tonne on 1 April 2014. 2.3 Many residents habitually recycle and as detailed in the report, for those residents that have difficulty accessing and or using the council’s recycling & landfill collection services, assisted collections are available. However there are a minority who have access to collection services who are able to recycle but choose not to and this impacts upon their immediate environment and all waste continues to go to landfill. It is properties of this nature that this policy is targeted towards. 2.4 Compulsory recycling is considered to be the next logical step in the Council’s approach to reducing landfill costs and decreasing the budgetary pressure from increasing landfill taxes, whilst engaging with residents who impact upon the public amenity of their locality. 2.5 The approach would involve identifying those properties and residents that fail to recycle, or have not requested assistance, and then to observe what is presented for collection over a period of weeks. This would be followed by engagement with those properties who have presented nothing and monitoring of their collections to assess whether they have started recycling. If they still fail to recycle, communications and enforcement action will then be implemented. 2.6 At its meeting on 9th July 2012 Cabinet agreed that officers undertake a public consultation on the options for the introduction of compulsory domestic recycling (Min. A87/12).This report sets out the details of the recent public 12 consultation on the proposal to introduce compulsory recycling scheme and will be seeking agreement from Cabinet to it’s introduction from 7 January 2013. 3. DETAIL 3.1 Recycling within the London Borough of Croydon has improved significantly in recent years with recycling rates more than doubling from 16.17% in 2005/06 to 33.46% in 2010/11 with further improvement achieved in 2011/12 as a result of the changes to recycling services in October 2011 to 38.1%. As a result of the changes in October 2011, the borough is expected to achieve a 46% recycling rate in 2012/13. 3.2 The changes in service provision were structured as follows: Food waste Green box New, existing or enhanced? New Enhanced Collection frequency Weekly Every other week (alternating with the blue box) Blue box Existing Textiles (in a plastic bag) Green waste Existing Every other week (alternating with the green box) Every week Existing Every other week (seasonal) Landfill bin Existing Every other week (previously was weekly) Input Food waste Tins, cans, bottles, glass, aerosols, foil and plastic packaging Paper and card Clothing and shoes Green garden waste, no food waste Items that cannot be recycled 3.3 Whilst there are many enthusiastic recyclers in the borough there is a minority who do not use recycling services. These households have access to the service, but choose not to participate in the service despite previous communication. Compulsory recycling is a tool which the Council can use to encourage these households to participate in the service. 3.4 For some residents that have difficulty accessing and or using the council’s recycling & landfill collection services, they have already advised the council and have been included on the assisted collection available. This service ensures that all recycling receptacles and landfill bins are collected and returned to an agreed location on the resident’s property. Compulsory recycling 3.5 Compulsory recycling requires residents to regularly present recycling for collection at the kerbside. If the policy is implemented collections will be monitored initially by a project team to identify non-recycling households who will then be engaged with to identify any barriers and encourage them to start recycling. Collections are monitored post-engagement to assess whether 13 behavioural change has been achieved. If the household, despite our attempts to encourage wider recycling, fails to recycle, this will lead to a consideration of enforcement. 3.6 Reflecting the present arrangements for offering assistance to those residents who have difficulty accessing and or using the council’s recycling & landfill collection services, it is proposed that the compulsory scheme will also provide for a level of discretion to be given to officers implementing it to ensure that in relation to compliance with it’s equalities duties, any affected protected groups, for example Age or Disability are not negatively affected by this approach. Some residents may have legitimate reasons why they are not presenting recycling for collection, such as, a severe disability, committed home composting or they may choose to recycle using other facilities such as the Household Neighbourhood Recycling Centre. By affording officers a level of discretion these properties would not be unfairly affected by the implementation of this policy. 3.7 Compulsory recycling has been used by a range of other London boroughs. Authorities who have used the ‘monitor, engage, monitor’ approach have experienced a notable increase in recycling tonnage. By increasing recycling and reducing landfill tonnage savings can be achieved in avoiding landfill tax. Other benefits can also be realised in terms of improved standards of street cleanliness in the local area. Persistent non-recyclers can in some cases blight their neighbourhood with overflowing landfill bins and side waste causing embarrassment and frustration for their neighbours. Implementing compulsory recycling provides a tool to tackle locations where this is prevalent and demonstrates support for the many enthusiastic recyclers within the borough. Barnet’s compulsory recycling policy 3.8 The London Borough of Barnet was the first London council to adopt compulsory recycling for their household properties in March 2005. The policy was implemented using the ‘monitor, engage, monitor’ approach through a project team. Barnet were very pro-active in communicating their policy with a letter sent to all 113,000 affected properties signed by their Cabinet Member for the Environment with a FAQ sheet, alongside a full range of communications approaches including bin stickering to communicate the policy. 3.9 Results show a 28% increase in recycling tonnage collected in the first year of the policy implementation, and their recycling rate increased from 19.87% in 2004/5 to 27.47 in 2005/6 (although they did introduce green waste collections in this time also). Following policy implementation a participation rate of 80% has been achieved. Participation rate is defined as the placement out of recycling boxes by residents during a monitoring period. 3.10 In trialling and implementing the policy, box requests increased by 1,617 requests in the year of the trial period and by 5,218 and 6,158 in the first two years of borough wide implementation. Preparations for implementing this initiative will take this into account. Advantages of adopting compulsory recycling 14 3.11 By adopting a compulsory recycling policy the Council could use this as a tool to provide the following advantages: Increased recycling service participation Provide a tool to tackle persistent non-recyclers through a supportive approach backed by legislation to enforce The ability to respond to reports of poor management of waste and recycling from residents Reduced cost of landfill disposal Positive environmental impact of reduced waste to landfill Improved standards of visual presentation and street cleanliness Increased recycling tonnage and recycling rate 4. CONSULTATION RESULTS 4.1 A public consultation to seek the views of residents on the proposal to introduce compulsory recycling was undertaken during 10 July to 31 August 2012. 4.2 The following consultative mechanisms were used: Questionnaire – this was available online through the Council web site and in paper form for those without internet access. Face to face – resident’s views were sought by consulting face to face with using questions based upon the online questionnaire. Presenting to Focus Groups- Four groups were held on Wednesday 28 August and Thursday 29 August for residents who had indicated on their questionnaire return that they would like to be involved in a Focus Group to discuss this matter in further detail. 4.3 A full communications and engagement plan was established to ensure that a broad range of views were solicited and the policy is positioned correctly, and the consultation has been publicised by the following communication methods: Two press releases Posters, flyers and paper copies to all libraries (additional copies have been delivered where required) Online through the Croydon Council website Your Croydon article Mailing to 73 housing associations Emails to minority groups Posters provided to Access Croydon Posters on staff notice boards Presentation to mental health user group Flyers out with engagement team Hand held units face to face surveys in Norbury High Street, North End/Surrey Street, Thornton Heath, Coulsdon, New Addington and Purley. Posters displayed on staff notice boards 15 a) b) c) d) 4.4 Consultation was clear in so much that:It made clear what options were under consideration, and before a final decision is made by the Council each option was described sufficiently enough to allow for intelligent consideration of them and the impact on those who would be effected by compulsory recycling; There was sufficient time for those consulted to put their views to the Council; Needs were considered in respect of all protected groups under the Equalities Act 2010 to ensure that any particular needs appropriate to the group were facilitated; Residents were advised that the outcome of responses to the consultation was to be reported back to a future meeting of the Cabinet on 16 October 2012, for Members to fully consider in detail prior to a decision being taken by the Council as to the most appropriate option to be pursued; The views from residents have been reviewed and evaluated, and 372 responses have been received from four specific communication methods;Paper based responses – 21 Online survey responses – 351 Talkaoke feedback – 33 Hand held face to face surveys - 110 4.5 Table 1 details the results relating to the Hand held and Talkaoke results: Table 1 I believe in recycling % agree and strongly agree % disagree and strongly disagree % neutral Total We should all recycle to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill and reduce Croydon’s environme ntal impact. We should all recycle to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill to help reduce costs, freeing up money for other services. I believe those who currently do not recycle regularly should be encourage d to start. I think Croydon Council should make regular kerbside recycling compulsory. I think Croydon Council should take necessary action against those who are unwilling to recycle (including potential fines for those who continue to be unwilling to recycle). 73.77 67.80 90.91 92.42 90.77 89.15 4.20 7.58 1.54 3.10 8.20 14.41 4.90 100.00 0.00 100.00 7.69 100.00 7.75 100.00 18.03 100.00 17.80 100.00 16 4.6 Table 2 details the results relating to the paper based and online surveys. Table 2 I believe in recycling % agree and strongly agree % disagree and strongly disagree % neutral Total 4.7 93.55 We should all recycle to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill and reduce Croydon’s environmen tal impact. We should all recycle to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill to help reduce costs, freeing up money for other services. 90.32 85.09 I believe those who currently do not recycle regularly should be encourage d to start. 88.15 I think Croydon Council should make regular kerbside recycling compulsory I think Croydon Council should take necessary action against those who are unwilling to recycle (including potential fines for those who continue to be unwilling to recycle). 62.67 58.33 2.96 3.49 7.05 5.51 27.52 31.18 3.49 100.00 6.18 100.00 7.86 100.00 6.34 100.00 9.81 100.00 10.48 100.00 The proposition put to residents in respect of introducing compulsory recycling was; I think Croydon Council should make regular kerbside recycling compulsory. The results to this proposition were 73.77% agreed from the handheld and Talkaoke surveys, and 62.67% agreed from paper based and online surveys. 4.8 A further proposition linked to the introduction of compulsory recycling the wording of the question was: I think Croydon Council should take necessary action against those who are unwilling to recycle (including potential fines for those who continue to be unwilling to recycle). The results to this question were 67.80% agreed from the handheld and Talkaoke surveys, and 58.33% agreed from paper based and online surveys 4.9 The responses to both of these questions show that there is significant support to the council’s proposal to implement a borough-wide compulsory recycling scheme. 17 4.10 Where residents who expressed a view that they disagreed with the proposal to introduce compulsory recycling their concerns with (officers responses shown in italics) are detailed below: People should decide if they want to recycle – From the public consultation it is clear that a significant number of residents participating in the survey support the council’s proposal to introduce a borough-wide compulsory recycling scheme. Freedom of choice – When residents were asked their views on whether we should all recycle to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill, over 90% of residents agreed with this approach. Better to educate – As part of the proposed scheme the focus will be on engagement with residents to raise awareness of how to recycle, and to promote reuse. What if already recycle all waste and use council’s Reuse & Recycling Centres – The council is clear that where residents can demonstrate that they are already recycling, then officers will cease monitoring their property. More help & information. - As part of the proposed scheme the focus will be on engagement with residents to raise awareness of how to recycle, and to promote reuse. 5. Scheme implementation 5.1 It is recommended that compulsory recycling, if implemented, should also have a ‘monitor, engage, monitor’ policy approach prior to formal enforcement. This approach, where introduced, has been successfully implemented along with an engagement team supporting the service change where it has delivered encouraging results within the borough. 5.2 As part of such an approach detailed records would need to be kept regarding the lack of recycling presented for collection and to be able to respond to enquiries, which experience shows would be forthcoming. It is therefore proposed that a dedicated project team is formed to initially implement the scheme. The team would be in place for six months to give impetus to the policy and deliver the ‘monitor, engage, monitor’ approach. The team will be advised to use a supportive, encouraging approach to ensure residents are able to engage with staff that can answer questions and provide advice. This will be funded through an investment of £60,000 from the proposed savings (see Para 6.2 below). 5.3 There isn’t the need to deliver the ‘monitor, engage, monitor’ approach to all addresses and evidence indicates that it would be possible to prioritise this approach to key roads within the borough. Work has already been undertaken on monitoring participation by residents in each of the five collection zones covering the whole borough. Options as to the process for identifying areas where activity will be focussed may include: Target resource on the areas where we know there are high levels of nonrecyclers residing: Information from recycling collection teams: 18 5.4 5.5 Undertake analysis to understand which areas present the lowest weight of recycling, and target resource accordingly. Once roads are selected the following process can be used to identify which properties consistently do not recycle: Letter drop households to alert them their collections will be monitored: Undertake three weeks of early morning collections monitoring to identify relevant properties. If recycling is presented on one or more occasions they are removed from the scope of the project: Door knocking of properties identified from monitoring to engage with householders, advise their property has been identified, answer questions and offer caddies and recycling boxes. If no answer a letter with a pre-paid envelope is delivered. Delivery of required equipment will be made. Once any required equipment has been delivered, there will be further monitoring as set out below: Three weeks of early morning monitoring to assess the impact of the engagement and if no recycling is presented a ‘yellow’ letter to be issued: Three weeks further monitoring and if recycling continues not to be presented a ‘red’ letter to be issued: Three weeks of further early morning monitoring, and if no recycling is presented the details are passed to the Area Environment Enforcement Officers in order to issue the fixed penalty notice. Appendix A details the proposed process. 5.6 This gives the resident sufficient opportunities to present recycling and an opportunity to engage face to face with the council. It is important the approach gives residents every opportunity to recycle and an opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification. 5.7 Whilst issuing fixed penalty notices and taking residents to court is a possibility, other boroughs have found this is a rare occurrence. Where fixed penalty notices are issued fines will be at £80 with a reduction for early payment. 5.8 The experience from other councils indicates almost all residents respond to the series of communications accompanying the implementation of the policy, so there is little requirement to use the legal process, although the council must be prepared to use the legal process in the event it is required. 5.9 Only after a red letter has been issued, officers will then check the landfill bin for any recyclables as part of evidence gathering. 5.10 It is proposed that subject to the outcomes of the consultation, if adopted, the compulsory recycling scheme will be implemented on 7 January 2013. Scheme parameters 5.11 It is proposed that initially compulsory recycling is applied to properties which currently receive the recycling box and food waste service (houses and flatted locations of up to five dwellings). This excludes properties such as blocks of flats and flats above shops. These properties could form a further phase of activity following the initial policy implementation. 19 5.12 The policy is to be applied to all recyclable material currently collected as part of the kerbside collection services including paper/card, glass, plastic, green waste and food waste. 5.13 There are some avid composters on the borough who through the consultation have shown concern about their low frequency of collection box presentations as they compost so much and others who choose to use the Neighbourhood Recycling Centres rather than the kerbside collections. Where there are clear reasons like these why the resident does not recycle, then they will be removed from the procedure. 5.14 Some residents have already advised the council of concerns that they have with accessing recycling and landfill bin collection services and these residents have been included on the council’s assisted collection service. This service ensures that all recycling receptacles and landfill bins are collected and returned to an agreed location on the resident’s property. 6. FINANCIAL AND RISK ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS 6.1 Revenue and Capital consequences of report recommendations Medium Term Financial Strategy – 3 year forecast 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Current year 2012/13 £’000 £’000 Revenue Budget available Expenditure Income Effect of decision from report Expenditure on awareness work Savings from recycling £’000 £’000 (200) (200) (200) (140) (200) (200) 60 Remaining budget Capital Budget available Expenditure Effect of decision from report Expenditure Remaining budget 20 6.2 The effect of the decision The assumed savings in the diversion of some 2,357 tonnes of household waste which is currently landfilled for recycling will result in the Council making a full year saving of £200,000 in 2013/14. This assumed tonnage diversion is based on the net saving of around £85 per tonne, based on assumed rates for landfill Tax, landfill gate fee and recycling processing costs for 2013/2014. In order to achieve this diversion a one off investment of £60,000 will be required to enable the necessary waste awareness officers to be engaged to undertake the required visits to specific roads within the borough where existing recycling levels are low. It is assumed that in 2013/14 there will be a net saving of £140,000, and an ongoing annual saving of £200,000. Furthermore, it is expected that as a result of this initiative there will be a requirement for an additional 20,000 recycling boxes at a cost of £77,000. There is currently provision in the 2013/14 capital programme of £150,000 for replacement bins. 6.3 6.4 Risks There are some risks in implementing a compulsory recycling policy: Adequate resource needs to be available to handle increased recycling box and food caddy requests. Comprehensive records need to be kept in implementing this policy, if these are not maintained ability to enforce will be compromised. Whilst the policy would be implemented initially by a project team the question about how this is delivered and enforced long term is to be resolved. The council may need to consider the possibility of taking enforcement action against residents. Potential for negative press and resident reaction to the scheme. Options Alternative options to compulsory recycling for consideration are: The alternative to compulsion is incentivisation. This has been used by a small number of councils, most notably Windsor and Maidenhead. There would be barriers to overcome in funding the provision of incentives and equipping the vehicles to support implementation. Alternative approaches to implementation: Detail of the policy could be printed on future leaflets and the website without implementation or a project team. By not monitoring and engaging with residents the policy could risk being ineffectual. The main priority for this policy is street properties rather than flats (of five or more dwellings) as the flats food waste service introduction is still being rolled out and bedded in. These properties receive a different service from households in there is a communal bin which is shared by residents which leads to a more complex enforcement process. Properties of this nature could be part of a later project. 21 6.5 Future savings/efficiencies The investment of £60,000 for the waste awareness officers will enable an assumed yearly saving in 2013/14 of £170,000, and £200,000 in later years as the officers encourage residents who do not currently recycle to divert more of their waste from landfill. (Approved by: Richard Simpson, Director of Finance and Deputy Section 151 Officer) 7. COMMENTS OF THE COUNCIL SOLICITOR AND MONITORING OFFICER 7.1 The Council Solicitor comments that compulsory recycling can be enforced by local authorities under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended). It’s provisions give a waste collection authority the power to require an occupier to place waste for collection in receptacles of a kind and number specified. A person who fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any requirements imposed may be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (currently £1000). Alternatively, an authorised officer may give that person a notice offering them the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by payment of a fixed penalty to the waste collection authority. 7.2 While the legislation does not raise a statutory duty to consult, the DEFRA website indicates its expectation that all local authorities should seek the views of their customers when designing and delivering waste services. Further the Local Government Act 1999 sets out the duty of Best Value – local authorities must show that their services have been influenced by resident’s views, and provide the best possible value. Insofar as consultation will help demonstrate this, case law has emphasised the duty in doing so to consult property, the key elements of which can be summarised as: Consult when proposals are at the formative stage; Reasons for proposed changes should be given; Options should be given including the option to do nothing; Sufficient time should be given; Full information should be given, not partial; (Approved by: Gabriel MacGregor, Head of Corporate Law on behalf of the Council solicitor and Monitoring Officer) 8. HUMAN RESOURCES IMPACT 8.1 There are no human resources impacts arising from this report. 8.2 Approved by: Adrian Prescod, HR Business Partner, on behalf of the director, Human Resources Organisational Effectiveness. 9. EQUALITIES IMPACT 9.1 An initial Equality Impact Assessment for this new policy has been prepared, and there is no further equality impact assessments required. 22 9.2 The council operates an assisted collection service for residents who are unable to place out their recycling receptacles or landfill bins for collections. 9.3 The assisted collection service allows for the recycling and waste collection contractor to collect and return recycling receptacles and landfill bins to an agreed location within the residents property. This service is accessed by contacting the councils Contact Centre on 020 8726 6200, or by e-mailing contact.thecouncil@croydon.gov.uk or by texting 60660. 10. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Decreasing the amount of household waste which is currently land filled will assist the council in improving its recycling performance and reduce our carbon emissions relating to the landfill of that waste. 11. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/PROPOSED DECISION The Council has made significant progress with encouraging residents to recycle as much of their household waste as possible. Unfortunately some residents still resist participating in using the comprehensive kerbside recycling service offered by the council. The introduction of a compulsory recycling scheme will enable the council to engage & monitor residents who continue to not use the council’s recycling services. 12. OPTIONS CONSIDERED AND REJECTED These are detailed within paragraph 6.4 of this report. Appendices Appendix A - Process for monitoring and engaging with properties. Please see below. CONTACT OFFICER: Malcolm Kendall, Head of Environmental and Leisure BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: none 23 Appendix A – Process for monitoring and engaging with properties Letter drop to households in the selected road/s Three weeks of early morning monitoring Door knock properties not presenting recycling to check they have boxes/caddies, understand any barriers and answer any Three weeks of questions early morning monitoring If there are clear reasons why the property cannot or are already recycling, then they will be removed from the procedure. If no recycling presented a ‘yellow’ letter is delivered Three weeks of early morning monitoring If no recycling presented a ‘red’ letter is delivered Three weeks of early morning monitoring Details passed to Area Enforcement Officers to issue FPN 24