The Labour and Conservative councillors, who now lead the council through a “coalition in all but name”, had pledged at the local elections in May to scrap fortnightly collections.
Bristol, one of the first UK cities to offer all households access to food waste collections, has seen recycling rates increase from 18.5% to 37% since March 2006.
Councillors are meeting today to consider the Jury's final report, which has decided against a return to weekly residual waste collections – and has also advised against adding plastic bottles to the kerbside collection scheme, suggesting the collection from bring banks will be more cost effective.
Cllr Gary Hopkins, of the Liberal Democrats, which remains the largest party within the city council, told letsrecycle.com on Friday: “That Citizens' Jury spent a fair amount of time on it, and was furnished with a fair amount of information, and now it's put out its recommendations – supporting our policies.”
“It specifically rejected going back to weekly collections, and even endorsed our view that plastic should be collected from bring banks, not through kerbside collections,” Cllr Hopkins explained.
The second Citizens' Jury review ever called by Bristol city council – after a review of sports facilities seven years ago – saw a panel of 25 residents selected from more than 2,000 people from across the city.
The Jury met last month to hear from a range of experts on waste issues, including council officers from Bristol, Devon, Plymouth and Westminster, recycling and waste companies ECT Group and SITA UK, consultants from Jacobs Consultants and Resource Futures as well as WRAP and community re-use group SOFA.
Findings
The review's findings have included the recommendation of an increase in Bristol's communications budget and the seeking of extra funding for a communications campaign under the slogan “Don't waste Bristol, recycle”.
The review panel said awareness-raising activities should also highlight the impact of fly-tipping, and that the council should look into the possibility of higher and more consistent fines for those caught illegally dumping waste.
Concerning residual waste collections, the review backed existing fortnightly collections, but said additional waste sacks should be made available for a £2 per sack charge via supermarkets.
Regarding recycling, the Jury called for more visible recycling collection points in parks and on streets, more mini-recycling centres at multi-occupant homes and flats, more bring banks for plastics and an increased frequency of collections.
Although the Labour and Conservatives had wanted to include plastics in the city's kerbside collection scheme, the jury found that “having understood the debate and financial issues, do not feel this is financially viable.”
Other recommendations included more use of waste “doctors” to visit households help residents to recycle more, and more community-based recycling schemes.
“Common sense”
Commenting on the work of the jury, the chairman of Bristol's quality of life scrutiny committee, Tory Councillor Richard Eddy, said: “The Citizens' Jury worked extremely hard and took on a lot of detailed information to reach their conclusions. The seriousness and commitment with which the 25 jurors treated this subject, and the common sense perspective they brought to their deliberations more than vindicated the process.
Noting that his administration would now have to consider the Jury's findings, Cllr Eddy added: “I wish to congratulate all those involved in the Citizens' Jury and look forward to seeing how our waste collection and recycling service will be improved as a result.”
Discussing the results of the review, however, Cllr Hopkins, who was executive member for the environment before the May elections, accused the group of Labour and Conservative councillors of “keeping this quiet”. He said: “There was never any way they could have brought in what they said they would in their election leaflets.”
He said the Jury review of waste services had had put the council's waste services in a “bizarre situation”. After the meeting of the Quality of Life Scutiny committee today, the council's Cabinet will discuss the report in November. “We are calling a special meeting of the council,” said Cllr Hopkins. “It would be the first special meeting at the council since I can remember.”
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