Oxfordshire to address waste per head

Details of the bid to cut waste arisings were published today in the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership's first annual report. The partnership, which covers six councils in the county, reported an overall 40% recycling and composting rate but expressed disappointment that waste volumes were continuing to rise.

Now it is planning two advertising campaigns, over the summer and at Christmas, to try to combat the increase among residents. The message will be seen by residents of the county's five district councils: Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils, as well as Oxford city council.

Despite hitting the national recycling target two years ahead of time and seeing the amount of waste to landfill decrease, the partnership saw the amount of household waste per person rise from 490.21kg to 491.32kg.

The remaining pump-priming money from the final year of the Local Authorities Agreement has now been earmarked for the communications campaign targeted at encouraging Oxfordshire residents to recycle even more.

Contract

The report also stated that “good progress” was being made on the procurement of a residual waste treatment facility, with the two bidders – Viridor and WRG – both proposing energy from waste facilities capable of handling 300,000 tonnes of waste a year at their existing Oxfordshire sites.

Oxfordshire currently remains within its Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) allowance, but anticipates having to purchase additional permits in order to remain compliant in the years leading up to the opening of new waste treatment facilities. The contract for the facility is expected to reach preferred bidder status by August 2008 and be finalised by December 2008.

Oxford City councillor John Tanner, who is the new partnership chairman, said: “Recycling 40% of our waste is a fantastic achievement by Oxfordshire residents and the district and county recycling teams. We now have to push that recycling rate across the county to more than 50% and I'm sure Oxfordshire people can. This is all about saving taxpayers' money, helping the planet and creating more sustainable life-styles.”

The waste partnership plans to drive the recycling rate to 45% by 2015 with the introduction of food waste collections, with a contract for a food waste treatment facility expected to be awarded in early August with full commencement on April 1 2009, after being put out to tender in November 2007. (see letsrecycle.com story)