Agenda item

The Waste and Recycling Manager presented information to the Panel, including showing the two videos (links below) and providing a presentation (attached).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-48716549/how-recyclable-is-your-food-shop

https://vimeo.com/346105155

The Waste and Recycling Manager outlined the processes involved in dry recycling and highlighted that all the Borough’s recycling was carried out in the UK and nothing was exported until it had been prepared for remoulding.   

He reminded the Panel that they had been invited to attend a tour of the Materials Recycling Facility.

The Chairman thanked the Waste and Recycling Manager for his presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.

Councillor Kemp asked if there were plans to extend what could be recycled, including larger plastics.  She also referred to the review of Norfolk County Council’s Waste Policy which made reference to incineration.  The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that he was unaware of the Norfolk County Council review.  He explained that with regards to larger plastics, this had been reviewed recently but no changes had been made.  The Waste and Recycling Manager also explained that WRAP funding had been previously used to identify plastic sorting opportunities, but it would not allow the mixing of materials.

The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that harder and larger plastics were often made up of different components and this made the processes more complex.  He also referred to items such as tins of paint, which could contaminate a lot of other recycling should there be any remnants of paint which make it into the truck, or the recycling belts at the MRF.

Councillor Bubb asked if there were alternatives that could be used to black plastic sacks.  The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that waste could be put into the bin loose, or other bags could be used.  He explained that black sacks could be made easily from fairly low grade recyclable material and that in the past other colours had been used to differentiate between trade waste etc.  The other benefit of using black bags was that anything confidential could not be seen from the outside. 

Councillor Bubb commented that black bags could take a long time to break down in landfill and the Waste and Recycling Manager confirmed that none of West Norfolk’s waste was sent to landfill, it was shredded, bailed and then sent to Holland to be used as fuel. 

Councillor de Whalley explained that it was important to raise public awareness about how and why we recycled.  The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that social media was used and there were some videos available on the Norfolk Recycles website.  Other options were being looked at in conjunction with the Communications Team.  Households also received two leaflets a year to encourage correct recycling.

The Panel was informed that currently 20% of materials collected for recycling could not be recycled.  The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that there was still an element of human sorting required at the MRF.

Councillor Ryves informed the Panel that he had visited the MRF and had been informed that there was a lot of contamination.  He felt that public awareness of what could and could not be recycled was important to reduce contamination and that the public should be penalised if they were not recycling properly.  He also explained that items should be loose, clean and excess packaging should be removed.  The Waste and Recycling Manager explained that clear sacks could be used for recycling, but there was still a large amount of contamination.  The Panel was also informed that action had been taken against households that continuously did not recycle correctly.

RESOLVED: The Panel noted the information.