Content

12.1

The committee heard
that the Environment Act 2021 seeks to reform the recycling
system across England to make recycling simpler and consistent
across the country (‘Simpler Recycling’) by mandating
the collection of certain materials. Each local authority is
empowered to make decisions on how the requirements of the Act are
implemented. For Sheffield City Council, this will require the
collection of certain materials that are not currently collected to
be incorporated into collection services, such as plastic pots,
tubs and trays and cartons by 31 March 2026 and plastic films by 31
March 2027.
 
This report sought approval to
conduct a public and stakeholder consultation to help inform
SCC’s future waste and recycling strategy to ensure
compliance with the Act and to improve certain service areas such
as paper and card collection. This proposed Public Consultation and
Stakeholder Engagement Strategy is set out in Appendix 4.
 
The outcome of the consultation will
be used alongside the results of commercial discussions with Veolia
and the independent modelling carried out by the Waste and
Resources Action Programme to inform a report to be brought to a
future Strategy and Resources Committee meeting. This report will
seek approval to implement a new waste and recycling collection
service that ensures compliance with the requirements of the
Environment Act.

 

 

12.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That Waste and Street Scene
Policy Committee approves the proposed public and stakeholder
consultation strategy set out in this report. The consultation will
include two sets of questions around current and future waste and
recycling: one aimed at residents in houses, the second aimed at
residents in flats.
 
Subject to approval of
this recommendation, Officers will produce the consultation
questions which will be presented to a Waste and Street Scene
Briefing session for comment prior to a public launch in
August

 

 

12.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

12.3.1

It is recommended that
the Waste and Street Scene Committee approves the proposed public
and stakeholder consultation strategy. This strategy will see the
delivery of two consultations, one focused at houses the second at
flats, with the questions focussed on the areas set out in this
report (section 1.34 to 1.48)

 

 

12.3.2

The delivery of the proposed public
and stakeholder consultation strategy will enable members of the
public and other stakeholders to provide their views and feedback
to inform future waste and recycling service options changes to
ensure compliance with the Simpler Recycling requirements of the
Environment Act 2021.

 

 

12.3.3

The outcome of the consultation will
be used alongside the results of the commercial discussions with
Veolia and the independent modelling carried out by WRAP to inform
a report to be brought to a future Strategy and Resources Committee
meeting, seeking approval to implement a new waste and recycling
collection service that ensures compliance with the new
‘Simpler Recycling’ requirements of the Environment
Act.

 

 

12.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

12.4.1

This report seeks approval to carry
out a public and stakeholder consultation exercise. This will run
concurrently with the commercial discussions taking place with
Veolia and the independent modelling being carried out by the Waste
and Resources Action Programme, to compare the costs, projected
recycling performance and carbon impact associated with a range of
service delivery options.

 

 

12.4.2

The alternative option would be to
delay the public and stakeholder consultation until after the
commercial discussions and independent carbon impact modelling with
WRAP have been completed. This option has been discounted, for the
following reasons:
 
- Carrying out the consultation prior
to the completion of the commercial and performance modelling has
the benefit of allowing the service options and commercial
discussions to be adapted and shaped according to the feedback
received from the public consultation; and
 
- The early completion of the public
consultation will enable a quicker decision process through the
Committee process. This will provide a longer lead in time and
greater resilience to accommodate a 12- month delivery time for new
collection vehicles and the need to implement the service change,
and commence collections of the additional materials (plastic pots,
tubs, trays and cartons) by 31 March 2026