Communications focus in Mole Valley waste action plan

Actions identified by the council to tackle during the 2015/16 financial year include improving information on recycling available to new residents, better collection crew enforcement of tagging contaminated recycling bins and targeted local campaigns to divert specific materials – such as textiles – from waste bins.

Incentive schemes are also being considered to encourage residents to recycling more in priority areas, according to the plan, which went before the council’s scrutiny committee this week (June 2).

The action plan has been shaped by responses from a consultation with 1,600 residents between July and October 2014, which took the form of a survey focusing on householders’ barriers to reducing, reusing and recycling their waste.

Mole Valley council said the level of satisfaction towards its recycling services was ‘generally very high among residents’, but that some areas for improvement were also identified.

20% of respondents said they were not familiar with some of the council’s recycling services, such as its weekly kerbside textile collections, prompting Mole Valley to focus on improving its communication’s in the action plan.

The plan includes five actions to be implemented this coming year:

• The council aims to ensure that any new residents in the district receive the ‘Recycle for Mole Valley’ service guide as soon as they move in
• Annual targeted communications aimed at a particular district area, with the Goodwyns estate this year identified as an area to install new bin store signage
• Local support for Surrey Waste Partnership communication campaigns to cut the likes of textiles, plastics and food from entering household refuse bins
• Working with collection crews to improve notifications to residents whose recycling bins are rejected due to contamination
• Improve enforcement and communication of council’s policy of crews not collecting excess bags of refuse (more than one bag per home)

Surrey Waste Partnership

A joint municipal waste management strategy agreed by the Surrey Waste Partnership (SWP) in March suggested that each partner authority create yearly waste management action plans, the delivery of which ‘will lead to service improvements and increased recycling activity’, according to Mole Valley council documents.

These plans are based on 34 actions outlined in the SWP strategy, some of which are the responsibility of the county council to implement, and others the responsibility of the 11 partner districts and boroughs, which include Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Guildford, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Runnymeade, Waverley and Woking councils.

Surrey Waste Partnership is currently procuring for a 10-year, county-wide collection contract worth more than £100 million, with potential contractors having until June 18 to submit bids (see letsrecycle.com story).

Mole Valley councillor Paul Newman, executive member for environment, said: “The action plan is guided by our key priorities of encouraging residents to protect the environment by reducing their use of natural resources, reusing materials and recycling more.”

Although Mole Valley’s recycling rate has risen to 54% in recent years, the council had achieved a rate of 58% in 2012. However, it was ‘badly affected’ by the Environment Agency’s subsequent decision to stop allowing leaves from street sweepings to be composted, according to documents.

“Over the past nine years, since the first Surrey-wide waste strategy was introduced, we’ve increased our recycling rate from 32% to 54%. We’re among the best recyclers in the South East. We need to improve though, and this action plan, shaped by residents, will help us to do this. I would like to thank those residents who took part in the survey, whose views are most valuable.”

Related Links:

–Mole Valley waste action plan