Agenda, decisions and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

Councillor S J Rice declared a personal interest in Minute No.36 – Climate Change & Nature Recovery Service Transformation Committee Annual Report 2023-2024.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City & County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

Councillor S J Rice declared a personal interest in Minute No.36 – Climate Change & Nature Recovery Service Transformation Committee Annual Report 2023-2024.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Approved.

Resolved that the Minutes of the Climate Change and Nature Recovery Service Transformation Committee held on 4 March 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.  

Noted.

Councillor Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community informed the Committee that the wrong report had been published with the agenda papers and was withdrawn from discussions and a verbal update would be provided.

Chris Howell, Head of Waste, Cleansing and Parks provided the Committee with a verbal update on the Future Waste Strategy.  Further to discussions that had occurred at previous meetings, updates were provided on the seasonal garden waste trial, trialling additional materials for roadside collections and introducing new containers to kerbside collections.

It was explained that garden waste collections had been stopped for a trial period in December 2023 and January 2024, which coincided with the quietest time for garden waste collections and resources had been redirected to other work streams. The service also collected Christmas trees at the end of January 2024. Consideration would now be given to whether the trial should become permanent in future years, particularly confirming start / end dates and any mitigating factors required.

In addition, to maximize resources, garden waste could be isolated as a collection material and collected with food waste in future. This would free up vehicles / crews should a further cessation of garden waste collections be agreed in the future.

He added that trials of the collection of additional kerbside materials would be run in future in order to determine if it was viable in respect of recyclable material, to determine the amounts involved and if the service had the capacity to include these collections. The materials involved included plastic film, cartons / tetra packs, textiles and small electrical goods.  

Discussions were ongoing with Welsh Government regarding the collection of film in the autumn and the Council has volunteered to take part should those collections proceed. Plans were also in place regarding organising the collections if they were agreed.

Following concern expressed by Councillors, the design of the glass and can container was changed to include a lid, to avoid the contents spilling out.  The Council had been awarded a Welsh Government grant for their purchase and the tendering process would be commenced shortly. Their roll out would be commenced afterwards and would take a few months to complete.

The Committee commented on the following: -

·       The positive progress made overall.

·       The potential business opportunity to create compost from food waste, the current agreements and exploring all options going forward.

·       Concern regarding the lack of resources in the service and delays to collections caused by vehicle failures / staff sickness.

·       The knowledge gained by the cessation of garden waste in January 2024, the potential for additional savings in the future by transferring the collection of food waste to go with black bag collections, thereby freeing up the garden waste vehicles / resources.

·       The savings being made on plastic bags in respect of glass and can collections and recognising that the collection of containers would be a slower process, requiring more resources.  

·       The service aims to use resources effectively to ensure the service was as robust and as cost effective as possible.

·       Amending collection services by swapping black bag collections and garden waste collections. This would result in food, cans, glass, paper and black bag waste being collected together.  Pink bags, food and garden waste would be collected the following week.

·       Programme for distribution of the reusable plastic cans and bottle containers.

·       The current arrangements and process for selling compost from garden waste.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member and the Head of Waste, Cleansing and Parks for the update and noted that an updated report would be presented to the next scheduled meeting.

For information.

The Chair presented ‘for information’ the Climate Change and Nature Recovery Corporate Service Transformation Committee Annual Report 2023-2024, which summarised the progress made in relation to the work programme for 2023-2024.

Noted.

The Chair presented an updated Work Plan report.  She thanked the Committee and officers for supporting the Committee throughout the Municipal year.

Resolved that the contents of the report be noted.