However, the move to the ‘collections blueprint’ system is subject to the authority receiving full capital grant from Welsh Government.
The grant will fund all capital costs for the ‘up to’ three-year implementation programme, a report for the council’s cabinet notes. The outcome of the grant application is expected this month (July 2018).
Restrictions
Following approval at a cabinet meeting last Monday (2 July), the council will also be introducing restrictions on the amount of waste householders can dispose of from September 2018. This will involve a ‘two bags per fortnight’ limit on residual waste.
According to the cabinet report, the current waste and recycling system is “not sustainable”.
The council reports a recycling rate of 65.3% for 2016/17, however there are “concerns” that this may slip back under the required 64%, the authority said.
Currently residents receive weekly commingled collections for recycling; fortnightly collections of residual waste; weekly food waste collections; and fortnightly garden waste collection between April and the end of September.
The authority also provides weekly commingled collections for recycling. Materials collected include cardboard, paper, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans and plastics (including film).
WRAP
Resources charity WRAP will be supporting VoGC under their Collaborative Change Programme (CCP) and have helped to develop a mobilisation plan to implement these changes.
CCP has been set up by the Welsh Government to support Welsh LA’s in meeting their statutory recycling targets and to progress the implementation of the ‘collections blueprint’ – the Welsh Government’s recommended service for the collection of household waste, which includes weekly separate dry recycling via a kerbside sort system.
CCP is delivered by WRAP, which is also responsible for the delivery of Recycle for Wales (RfW).
According to the cabinet report, following the award of a commingled recycling contract for 2018 – 2012, the global recycling market “took a down turn influenced by the restrictions imposed by China which has had a significant impact on the value of recyclate”.
“Whilst awarding to the most economical supplier the global implications of China’s decision to reject elements of mixed recycling has created an additional cost pressure of £570,000 per annum,” it says.
As a result, the service area budget has been increased by £140k and the remaining £430,000 is currently funded from reserves but it is only available for 2018/19. In 2019/20 there will be an “additional cost pressure to maintain this contract,” the report notes.
MRF
Currently, the commingled recycling is sent to a materials recycling facility (MRF) in Leicester operated by Casepak. The contract was awarded in 2014.
Vale of Glamorgan has awarded an interim contract to Casepak. The contract will run for one year and is worth £2 million.
The authority is expected to start the tendering process for a new contractor later this year.
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