Inspectors described the Essex authority's waste collection, minimisation, recycling and composting services as being of a “good” two-star standard, with “excellent” prospects for further improvement in the future.
Colchester, which is a Waste Collection Authority whose corresponding Waste Disposal Authority is Essex county council, has achieved a 22% recycling and composting rate – around twice the national average. The council has set itself targets to reach 40% recycling and composting by 2004-05, 60% by 2007 – surpassing its statutory targets imposed by the government of 36% by 2005-06.
There are currently kerbside recycling collections of glass, cans, tins, paper and card for all 66,850 households in the borough, and green waste collections for 80% of households. A trial in West Mercia has achieved a 57% recycling and composting rate.
Arisings
Inspectors said that the amount of waste arising in Colchester is low, at 352 kg per person per year in 2001/02, and has not changed significantly in recent years. The council had promoted waste minimisation actively over many years, they said, with 10,500 subsidised home compost bins having been sold.
Dorothy Welsh, Commissioning Inspector, the Audit Commission, said:
“Colchester has worked hard to deliver a quality service that is valued by local people. It now has in place an exciting programme of improvements. This will make the service more accessible, responsive and efficient and provide better value for money.”
The council has also been awarded 746,809 from the second round of DEFRA's National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund. This will be used to further strengthen the borough's kerbside collection service through the purchase of 13 multi-compartmental collection vehicles.
Trade
The borough also has a successful trade waste collection service, taking material from retailers, offices and factories, recycling around 50% of the tonnage it collects. The council is set to make a 125,000 net return from this service in 2002/03, which is to be put back into its recycling service.
Inspectors pointed out that one opportunity for waste minimisation could still be developed in the area of trade waste. The report said: “Skips are currently hired out at the same price regardless of size. This might encourage customers to hire the largest size possible, which might attract larger amounts of waste.”
Recommendations of the Audit Commission report also urged the council to clamp down on waste produced by the council itself, and to look into strengthening relationships with community groups such as furniture re-use charities.
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