The Warwickshire Waste Partnership meeting scheduled for Wednesday 18 March 2026 was set to cover a range of waste management topics, including performance data, national strategy updates, food waste collection plans, and the persistent issue of fly-tipping. The meeting's agenda also included updates from various waste partners across the county.

Waste Management Performance Data

The partnership was scheduled to review provisional waste management performance data for the first three quarters of the 2025/26 financial year. This included tonnages for recycling, composting, landfill, and energy from waste, alongside overall household waste figures. The report indicated a slight increase in recycling and reuse tonnages, but a decrease in the composting rate. It also highlighted an increase in energy from waste and residual waste, with a slight overall reduction in total household waste. Data for Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across Warwickshire was also to be presented, detailing recycling percentages at various sites.

Update on the Resources & Waste Strategy for England

A verbal report was scheduled to provide an update on the national Resources and Waste Strategy for England. Key points expected to be covered included the upcoming Simpler Recycling requirements, the anticipated introduction of food waste collections for households, and details regarding the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The report was also expected to mention the rise in Landfill Tax and the introduction of Digital Waste Tracking.

Food Waste Collection Plans Update

The meeting was set to receive an update on the progress of food waste collection plans across the partnership's constituent councils. This included information on the implementation timelines for North Warwickshire and Rugby, as well as strategies for effective delivery in Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick District Councils. Challenges such as revenue funding, vehicle and caddy procurement, and driver recruitment were anticipated to be discussed.

Fly-Tipping

A detailed report on fly-tipping was scheduled, presenting the latest national and local data. The report was expected to highlight an ongoing national trend of increasing fly-tipping incidents, with Warwickshire also experiencing a rise. The report was to summarise discussions from a recent focus meeting on fly-tipping prevention and enforcement, covering topics such as CCTV use, signage, evidence gathering, and community engagement. A recommendation was to be made for the Warwickshire Waste Partnership to write to National Highways requesting the use of variable message signs to announce Warwickshire as a Fly-tipping Enforcement Area.

Waste Partners Update

Updates from individual waste partners were scheduled to provide a comprehensive overview of activities across the county. This included:

• North Warwickshire Borough Council: Updates on revised collection rounds, a delay in the food waste collection service due to a fire at a caddy manufacturer, and ongoing issues with lithium battery fires causing significant vehicle write-offs.
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council: A verbal update was anticipated.
• Rugby Borough Council: Progress on depot improvements, ramped-up food waste communications, a phase 2 restructure for efficiency, work to reduce recycling contamination, and plans to switch to one-week recycling and one-week refuse collections.
• Warwick District Council: Rollout of communal food waste bins, upcoming cleansing of the A46, and the ordering of new 'Recycling on the Go' litter bins.
• Stratford-on-Avon District Council: Low levels of missed collections, a falling contamination rate, the trial of an AI-driven platform for real-time contamination detection, the completion of food waste bin rollouts to communal properties, and support for a new repair café in Shipston-on-Stour. The report also noted the termination of the Salvation Army's textiles collection service.
• Warwickshire County Council: Updates on Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), including a trial removal of the booking system, the success of Age UK reuse shops, and food waste transfer operations. Communications activities, including the 'Slim Your Bin' programme, school visits, home composting events, and textile recycling initiatives, were also to be detailed. Procurement updates for tyre collection, food waste containers, garden waste composting, paint reprocessing, and hook lift vehicles were also on the agenda.

Communications

A countywide communications update was scheduled, covering seasonal messaging for Christmas and New Year, battery and electrical safety, and HWRC opening hours. The school programme and initiatives to promote reuse, such as Repair Cafés and Second-Hand September, were also to be highlighted. District and Borough highlights of local communications efforts were also expected.

Health and Safety

Health and safety was listed as a standing item, with no specific incidents reported in the provided documents.

Local Government Reorganisation

The meeting was to note ongoing uncertainty regarding future local government structures and the mapping of service contracts to ensure preparedness.