Councillors on Wirral Council’s Labour Cabinet to make decision today on public consultation over changes to green bin collection and food waste collection from Wirral’s residents
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Councillors on the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority) discussed the upcoming decision by Wirral Council’s Cabinet on Friday afternoon (24th June 2016) at item 14 (Waste Composition Analysis) which starts at 14 minutes 30 seconds into the meeting.
A meeting of Wirral Council’s Labour Cabinet this morning (if you are reading this on the 27th June 2016) will (amongst other matters) decide on whether to consult on two options to changes to how waste is collected in the future on the Wirral.
These are the two shortlisted options that look likely to be consulted on.
Option 1
Green Bin
Each Wirral household that has a 240 litre green bin will be given a new smaller 140 litre green bin (a reduction of 42%). However collections that are now fortnightly (every two weeks) will remain fortnightly (every two weeks)
Grey Bin
Same size bin as before (240 litres) and no change to collection frequency (fortnightly). This is the same as option 2.
New Food Bin (colour unknown)
Households will receive a new food bin (capacity 23 litres) which would be emptied every week. This is the same as option 2.
Option 2
Green Bin
Each Wirral household keeps their existing 240 litre green bin. However collections are now every three weeks instead of every two weeks.
Grey Bin
Same size bin as before (240 litres) and no change to collection frequency (fortnightly). This is the same as option 1.
New Food Bin (colour unknown)
Households will receive a new food bin (capacity 23 litres) which would be emptied every week. This is the same as option 1.
Changes to Wirral Council‘s contract (Waste Recycling and Street Cleansing Services) with Biffa, if the changes are approved after consultation will be required.
The driver (in part) behind the changes is the European Union Waste Framework Directive 2008 which in UK legislation became the Waste (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.
For local councils such as Wirral Council, this legislation has a target to reuse and recycle 50% of household waste by 2020 and if local councils miss this target there is the possibility of fines.
Wirral Council’s current recycling rate is 37%.
This is also connected to a European Union funded project called Wastecosmart, which involves the UK, the Dutch, the Italians, the Swedish, the Hungarians and the Cypriots.
The UK element of this project involves the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority) on which two Wirral Council councillors pictured above sit (Cllr Steve Williams (Conservative) and Cllr Tony Norbury (Labour)), the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)’s Centre for Waste Management and C-Tech Innovation Ltd.
The 2014/15 accounts for C-Tech Innovation Ltd (which was previously called Capenhurst.Tech Ltd, before that Capenhurst.Dot.Tech Ltd and before that LAWGRA (NO.700) Ltd) show that they have been subject to a European Union Grant Commission audit into grant income they receive from the European Union. There is a potential claw back claim (according to their accounts filed with Companies House) of £954,868.
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