The South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee meeting scheduled for 16 July 2024 was set to review contract performance, budget updates, and communications and engagement activities. The meeting's agenda included discussions on the progress of various waste management contracts, the financial outturn for the 2023/24 financial year, and ongoing communication strategies related to waste services.

Contract Performance Report

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the performance of the South London Waste Partnership's (SLWP) contracts for transfer, treatment, recycling, and disposal services. This included an update on food and green waste treatment services, which are managed through contracts with Bio Collectors Ltd, Olleco, Countrystyle Recycling, and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK. The report was scheduled to detail the volumes of food and green waste collected and treated, noting a slight increase in food waste tonnage and a substantial 21% rise in garden waste volumes compared to the previous year. Concerns regarding odour and mechanical noise from the Bio Collectors AD facility in Merton were also to be discussed, alongside efforts to improve communication with nearby residents.

The performance of Household Reuse and Recycling Centre (HRRC) services, operated by Veolia, was also to be examined. The report was expected to cover site user experience, health and safety, and material recycling rates, with an overall recycling performance of 64% for the reporting period. An increase in the collection of various materials, including green waste and residual waste, was noted, though mattress collections had decreased. The report was to detail ongoing projects at HRRCs, such as soil separation, the operation of reuse shops in Sutton and Croydon, and the rubble charging scheme in Sutton, which aims to deter commercial misuse. Progress on the extension of the HRRC services contract, anticipated to conclude imminently, was also on the agenda.

Furthermore, the performance of the residual waste treatment contract with Viridor South London Limited, which operates the Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Beddington Lane, was to be reviewed. The report was to cover the tonnage of residual waste processed, with a slight increase compared to the previous year, and the minimal diversion to landfill. Significant operational issues at the Beddington ERF, including a power outage in October 2023 and subsequent investigations by the Environment Agency (EA), were to be discussed. The report was to detail the EA's findings, including non-compliance scores related to notification, management systems, and operating procedures. The calibration of emissions monitoring equipment and a gas canister detection project using artificial intelligence were also scheduled for discussion. The report was to provide an update on Viridor's permit variation application to the EA, which seeks to increase the amount of waste processed at the ERF.

Finally, the status of the dry recyclables treatment procurement was to be presented. This procurement aims to secure successor arrangements for the haulage and reprocessing of collected dry recyclates from April 2025, following the decision not to extend the current contract with Veolia. The report was to outline the procurement process, including the 'Lot' system for different material streams and the evaluation criteria, and to indicate the successful bidders for the various lots.

South London Waste Partnership Budget 2023/24

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the South London Waste Partnership's budget for the 2023/24 financial year. The report indicated an anticipated underspend of £12,137 against the revised budget of £1,253,755. The commentary was to detail the financial position of the core budget, including staff salaries and operational support, which was forecast to have an overspend of £21,594 primarily due to the NJC Pay Award for Local Government Services. Communications and improvement projects, including resident engagement and waste campaigns, were reported to be on budget, with the intelligence gathering project not progressing in the 2023/24 financial year. Commissioning projects, such as the HRRC extension and recyclates commissioning, were expected to incur an overspend of £12,791, attributed to legal costs.

Communication and Engagement Update

An update on communications and stakeholder engagement activities relating to the Partnership's residual waste treatment services, HRRC services, food and green waste treatment services, and the marketing of recyclates was to be presented. This report was to cover activities from December 2023 to June 2024. Key initiatives included the 'What's Your Plastic Solution?' campaign, designed to raise awareness of the link between plastic waste and carbon emissions, which was launched in May 2024. The campaign involved advertising across various platforms and digital promotion.

The report was to also cover activities related to the HRRCs, including an audit of site signage and web content to improve user experience and recycling rates. Updates on the Beddington Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) were to include information on Viridor's permit variation application and the aftermath of the October 2023 power outage, including the EA's investigation findings and efforts to strengthen communication protocols. The report was to highlight the transparency of emissions data provided by Viridor and detail the various site visits that took place.

Additionally, the update was to include information on communication and engagement activities related to recycling and waste collections and street cleansing, which are not formally under the Joint Committee's remit. This included the draft Communications Plan for the final year of the Veolia contract, the Flats Recycling Project trial aimed at reducing contamination in communal recycling bins, and the promotion of the garden waste service. The report was also to mention facility tours of Veolia's Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and borough-specific projects.