The Commission gave the service “one star”, on a scale of 0-3 and commented that it “was likely to improve”, because residents are generally satisfied with the recycling facilities and because 97 per cent have a recycling site within one kilometre of their home.
But the Commission has recommended that Birmingham ensures plans are in place to meet statutory recycling targets and to identify the revenue needed to meet these targets. And the auditors also felt the council should reconsider recycling as part of its wider review of waste management and develop a clear strategy for recycling within Local Agenda 21.
Inspectors identified a number of weaknesses in the service and found on-street recycling sites in poor condition, with more than 50 per cent of residents thinking that they were unsatisfactory.
Fair
Paul Kirby, Audit Commission central region best value director, said: “Birmingham city council's waste recycling service is achieving a fair recycling rate, and the cost of the service is below other similar councils. However if the service is to improve, it must make recycling sites cleaner, improve information about the service and increase access to recycling facilities.”
Phil Brook, recycling officer for Birmingham City Council, said: “We have got some problems with our service but are keen to do something about it. I thought that the inspectors were very fair. We are not providing a three star service at the moment but hope to in the future.”
Birmingham spends over 46 million a year on collecting and disposing of waste and has eight staff (three recycling officers and five drivers/operatives) who provide the waste recycling service at a cost of 1 million. The council has a current recycling rate of 6.5 per cent and provides a kerbside collection to 20 per cent of homes in the city for waste paper. But the council is increasing its paper collection service in the next few months and has started a green waste collection which will increase the number of households that have a kerbside collection from 20 to 50 per cent.
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