In a report to the authority’s cabinet last month, council officers recommended approval for the new waste strategy and it was approved by the cabinet.
Improvements to the existing service will be made, including the placing of weights in bags used for collections to help stop them blowing away.
National strategy
Members were told how the concept of kerbside sort fits with the government’s national waste strategy plans. The report explained: “The National Resource and Waste Strategy for England published in 2018 sets out how government plans to double resource productivity and eliminate avoidable waste of all kinds (including plastic waste) by 2050. Its focus is on improving recycling quality and increasing household and business recycling rates. It includes substantial reforms to municipal waste collections including a requirement for a common set of materials to be separately collected from households.”
High quality
The Cabinet also heard about the proposed strategy for the authority and about the importance of high quality recyclate.
In the submission to councillors, officers noted: “The mission for the Strategy is simple ‘To make waste a thing of the past’. Waste has a negative impact on the environment and is an expensive material for the council to collect and dispose therefore eliminating as much waste as possible is fundamental to the overall success of the strategy.”
On recyclables, the report recommended: “Increase the collection of high quality and value recyclate – continue to ensure that the full range of recyclables (as specified by government) are collected by residents in a manner which encourages recycling and maximises material value.”
Subsequent to the approval of the strategy by St Helens’ cabinet, the authority explained that the strategy focuses on helping residents to understand the impact of their waste and how they and the council can collectively work together to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible.
In developing the strategy, the current collection service was reviewed to ensure that it continues to offer value for money, aligns with national policy and addresses feedback received from residents. The report recommendations will see the continuation and enhancement of a weekly kerbside-sort service with improved containers.
‘Working together’
Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens borough council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “With this new strategy we’re aiming to make waste a thing of the past, looking at waste as a resource first – working together to reduce, reuse and recycle as much of our waste as possible, and treat it as a sustainable renewable energy source.
“With this in mind, our enhanced kerbside sorted service is the most effective and efficient model. This method of collections generates high quality material that has a higher financial value and that can more easily be recycled.
“That means we can always say with confidence that what we collect for recycling will be recycled. When recycling is comingled in one bin, typically more than 20 per cent of materials cannot be recycled due to contamination. And with our bags and boxes collected weekly, residents have more than double the capacity that a regular sized wheelie bin would provide.”
Cllr Bowden added: “We must enable residents and businesses to contribute towards the circular economy and achieving net zero carbon. This means preventing waste and keeping resources in circulation through repair, reuse and recycling.”
Heavier weight
The new containers, explained St Helens, will have an improved design and lid to keep the contents dry and a heavier weight in the bottom to stop them from blowing away in the wind. “The black box will remain but be used for glass only, and three new weighted bags will be issued to every household. These will be issued from September and will provide residents with increased capacity compared to the current service, particularly with cardboard. Food waste will continue to be collected separately via the current caddy. Residual waste and garden waste for subscribers will continue to be collected every two weeks.”
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