Essex residents quizzed over new waste strategy

A partnership of all Essex councils is aiming to limit the costs of waste management under the pressure of the county's increasing population, with a new joint waste management strategy.

High recycling

The draft strategy has been drawn up over the last three years, since an initial consultation on waste management “War on Waste” – was undertaken in 2002. The draft strategy focuses on high recycling levels with biological treatment for residual waste.

Essex is already recycling 29.8% of its waste – up from the 24.9% achieved in 2003/04 – and has ambitions to reach a 33% rate in 2005/06.

But the county wants to aim at a 60% recycling rate in the long-term, with residual waste treated through a form of mechanical biological treatment to divert material from the county's rapidly depleting landfills.

PFI hopes

Essex is hoping to attract government support through the Private Finance Initiative to reach a minimum of 45% being recycled by 2009/10 (of which 5% would be achieved through residual waste management) rising to 55% in 2030.

This level of performance assumes that the project will attract PFI funding. These targets are in-line with similar PFI-funded projects elsewhere. Recycling targets will progress lineally from 33% in 2005/06 to 35% in 2007/8 and 40% in 2009/10.

Responses

Cllr Michael Talbot, who chairs the Waste Management Advisory Board, said: “This round of consultation is to check with the Essex public that we have interpreted their views correctly, and that what we are asking them to do in the way of recycling is achievable.”

Residents are being offered the chance to win an iPod, a digital camera or other prizes by responding to a short questionnaire on the waste strategy before the end of September.

Cllr Talbot, who is a councillor in Tendring district, said: “Over 1,000 residents have already responded, which is very encouraging.”

The Essex waste partnership includes the county council and 12 districts and boroughs – Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Tendring and Uttlesford. The partnership manages about 720,000 tonnes of waste each year.