An Audit Commission report has described the council's waste services as “good”, with “promising prospects for improvement” just two years after it was labelled “weak”.
Much of the improvement has come thanks to a stronger approach to recycling, and the Audit Commission said in its report is on course to meet its 30% target.
” We mustn't rest on our laurels. Recycling was one of the areas highly praised but we still want to recruit as many new local residents as possible to recycling as a way of life. “
– cllr Douglas McCall, Milton Keynes council
Commenting on the inspection, Milton Keynes' cabinet member for environment Cllr Douglas McCall said: “I am very pleased that the Audit Commission's report has recognised our strengths – particularly when it comes to our efforts on recycling.
“But we mustn't rest on our laurels. Recycling, for example, was one of the areas highly praised but we still want to recruit as many new local residents as possible to recycling as a way of life,” Cllr McCall added.
Latest figures put Milton Keynes on a 24% recycling rate for 2003/04. The council uses a pink sack system for the collection of newspaper, plastic bottles and cans on a weekly basis. Pink sacks are paid for by the council, but residents must purchase their own black sacks for residual waste.
About 26,000 of 70,000 homes with gardens are also taking part in a fortnightly green waste collection scheme, for a 13 fee.
Food waste
In the report the Audit Commission pointed out that to continue to improve, Milton Keynes it will need to put a strong priority on diverting waste from landfill. Speaking to letsrecycle.com, the council said it is to tackle this with two new food waste collection trials.
One of the trials will involve kitchen waste collected alongside garden waste, while the other trial will see food waste collected separately from garden waste. Around 500 households will take part in each of the trials.
Andy Hudson, chief waste management engineer at Milton Keynes, said: “We will be running the two trials for a year to see which produces the better yield and is more cost effective. We hope from that to be able to start a pilot scheme, followed by a roll out borough-wide.”
The waste collected will be taken to an in-vessel composting facility at High Heavens in High Wycombe, which is animal by-product regulation compliant.
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Mr Hudson said the council has also been investing in improving Milton Keynes civic amenity sites, which he believed had brought about 30% of the increase in recycling rates. The Audit Commission described Milton Keynes civic amenity sites as “strong”, with inspectors impressed by resident satisfaction with recycling facility provision.
MRF
One set back for Milton Keynes this year has been April's fire at the materials recycling facility run by Community Waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
The council has said the plant should be up and running again before Christmas. In the mean time, it has engaged in an agreement for Peterborough city council to take its pink sacks. Mr Hudson explained: “We have an agreement with Peterborough, and if anything happens over there we will be on stand by for them.”
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