Agenda item

Barbara Herridge, External Relations Manager and Dimitra Rappou Waste Prevention Manager of the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) both gave a presentation on the NLWA activities especially regarding recycling targets and outreach programmes across the North London boroughs.

A copy of the presentation is interleaved with the agenda.

In the discussion the following points were made:

·       The North London Joint Waste Strategy agreed by the seven north London boroughs provides a statutory framework for municipal waste management in North London for the period 2004-2020.  It contains targets for reducing, reusing and recovering a proportion of the municipal waste generated in the North London Waste Authority and setting targets for reducing the waste sent for disposal to the landfill.

·       The Strategy focusses on preventing and reducing waste, followed by encouraging items to be re-used and then recycled. Members were advised that following these above priorities, NLWA focusses on waste recovery and its subsequent disposal by burning in incinerators to generate heat. NLWA’s least desirable option was to send waste to landfills due to its environmental impact.

·        The Strategy sets a recycling target of 50% by 2020, however the performance rate ranges between 25% to 37 % across the seven boroughs with Islington’s rate stuck at 30.6%.

·        Barbara Herridge informed the meeting that NLWA monitors progress across targets, shares best practices, undertakes research into motivations and behaviours, is involved in communication campaigns, tackles contamination and undertakes outreach work in the community.

·       NLWA has embarked on an awareness campaign directed at young North Londoners who are a transient population, likely to live in flats where participation rate is presently low. The campaign is using simple messages such as ‘one material at a time’, ‘saving stuff for the future’, using social media, Sky TV, digital and online services. The message has been positively received by the younger population.

·        NLWA in conjunction with borough officers review useful advice issued by WRAP about what can and cannot be recycled so that advice is standardised across the boroughs.  NLWA also reviews borough literature and websites to ensure that information provided is clear and not confusing.

·        With regard to the issue of contamination, the External Relations Manager advised that the NLWA had just commenced work on this issue  and are researching what other authorities are doing, what is the disposal cost of contamination and are working on a communications on a pan-North London basis.

·       Members were advised that the Waste Prevention Plan involves outreach work in the community on waste prevention and recycling.  It is prepared biennially and revised annually. The Plan identifies a number of priority material waste streams such as food waste, furniture /bulk waste and textiles and seeks to set out a series of specific actions in relation to those. The focus has been on action-oriented activities, providing information and helping to promote initiatives which NLWA has recognises as effective.

·        With regards to food waste prevention, Dimitra Rappou, the Waste Prevention Manager highlighted a number of themed events such as ‘the Waste Less, Lunch Free’ or ‘the European Week for Waste Reduction’ where food waste prevention stalls are set up within the community and advice is provided by chefs on issues such as food cooking skills andfood portioning. A lot of the events are directed at hard to reach groups so as to raise their awareness about minimising waste and cooking only what is required. Events such as the New Leaf project was organised in the summer months to support residents regarding disposal of salad meals as compost waste.  Also before Christmas the Gift of Waste project was developed, where participants learnt how to make their own low-cost and low-waste preserved foods, which made ideal Christmas presents.

·        In terms of furniture and textile reuse the Waste Prevention Manager advised that previously they had worked successfully with the London Reuse Network which was a network of charities working together to find new homes for good quality furniture and appliances that were no longer wanted but this closed down.  However NLWA continues to work with local charities with regards to the reuse of furniture.

·         It was acknowledged that one of the impediments to the residents participating in the furniture reuse scheme, and the prevalence of dumping around estates, was that most of the shops that take these items do not have places to park and that they do not offer free delivery. A suggestion that NLWA continue to work with other organisations such as Bright Spark was noted.

·         Members were informed that alongside outreach activities to promote food waste reduction, the waste prevention team started promoting recycling messages last year, and NLWA has facilitated over 59 events across the boroughs. The events had centred around educating the public on mixed dry recycling and food waste by having recycling information stalls, workshops or having presentations. The events were well attended by North London residents.

·     The meeting was advised that in the last three years NLWA carried out an intensive education project on waste prevention and recycling. This involved visiting 14 schools a year across the seven boroughs, speaking to over 4,240 pupils, 220 staff and 175 parents. NLWA reviewed facilities in the school to encourage waste reduction and increase recycling. It has been noticeable that on revisiting these school a year later there had been a reduction of approximately 1 ton of waste per school.

·      The Waste Prevention Manager said that most of the outreach programmes were to change behaviour. She advised that at most of the events such as prevention stalls, officers engage adults as they tend to be budget holders at home.

·         Members were advised that if they had any questions regarding NLWA activities, they should be emailed to the Committee clerk.

The Chair thanked both Barbara Herridge and Dimitra Rappou of NLWA for their attendance and their presentations. 

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be noted.