Agenda item

Martin Capstick, Managing Director of the North London Waste Authority gave an annual update to the committee. They reflected on a series of initiatives undertaken by the NLWA in collaboration with partners to address waste management challenges in north London. They emphasised a proactive approach to waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Specific efforts included promoting reusable products like period items and collaborating with Islington to conduct food waste trials. Additionally, the NLWA increased funding for community groups to facilitate reuse and repair activities across the boroughs.

Moreover, the NLWA aimed to expand recycling capabilities by collecting a wider range of waste streams at recycling centres. Initiatives such as carpet recycling and mattress recycling were introduced to address hard-to-recycle items. Despite these efforts, it was acknowledged that the overall impact on recycling rates was limited due to relatively low tonnages.

It was also highlighted there was a campaign aimed at engaging residents in recycling practices. They emphasised the importance of creating a connection between residents and waste collection crews to encourage positive behaviour changes.

However, despite these local efforts, it was noted that waste management levels in Islington remained largely unchanged over the years. They attributed this stagnation partly to national trends, including falling recycling rates across the country. They discussed the challenges of meeting government targets for waste reduction, particularly in areas like Islington, which already started from a lower waste per person baseline.

Furthermore, there were updates on ongoing projects such as the North London Heat and Power project, which aimed to improve waste management infrastructure. The importance of social value in waste management projects, including creating employment opportunities and apprenticeships was also of importance to the NLWA. They mentioned collaborations to ensure the delivery of social value over the project's duration.

Looking ahead, there were ongoing efforts to develop a joint waste strategy informed by public input and community engagement. They expressed hope for progress on national projects like deposit return schemes and wider collection reforms to further drive the circular economy. However, concerns about the messaging surrounding waste management at the national level, particularly regarding the importance of environmental outcomes. Despite these challenges, the NLWA remained committed to addressing waste management issues.

The committee expressed concerns about waste management in Islington, noting that while the borough generated 87,000 tonnes of waste annually, only around 22% was recycled, with the remaining 77% being residual waste. They questioned whether it was feasible to reduce the amount of residual waste being incinerated. They raised the issue of the capacity of the 700,000-tonne burner and wondered where additional material would come from if all seven boroughs successfully reduced their waste.

The committee suggested continuing to encourage residents, producers, and retailers to reduce waste. They discussed the possibility of extracting recyclable materials from residual waste and acknowledged the challenges posed by improper recycling practices and non-recyclable items.

Regarding the North London Waste Authority's (NLWA) waste management facility, it was noted that it had consistently processed around 550,000 tonnes of waste per year. However, the new facility was designed to operate with a capacity of 450-490 tonnes. Contingency plans were in place in case waste volumes fell below this range, with a focus on adapting arrangements to accommodate reduced waste levels, which was the ultimate aim.

The committee also explored factors contributing to Islington's lower-than-average waste generation per capita, considering demographic and socioeconomic factors. They discussed the potential percentage of residual waste that could have been recycled with better messaging and infrastructure, noting challenges such as the recyclability of certain materials like plastics and organic waste.

Concerns were raised about accessibility to waste facilities, such as the signage at Hornsey Street access. The role of retailers and producers in waste management was discussed, with suggestions for initiatives like return schemes and campaigns targeting specific industries like vape shops, where disposable products cause a lot of waste.

Regarding community composting hubs, the committee expressed interest in expanding such initiatives and requested further information on their current status. They also discussed the transportation of business waste and potential increases in borough levies to support waste management infrastructure and maintenance costs.