Draft Waste Strategy launched - 27 June 2011

Draft Waste Strategy launched - 27 June 2011Residents are to get their say on how Merseyside should manage its municipal waste through a range of targets and options designed to help Merseyside councils and Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority meet tough environmental and resource management challenges on waste prevention, recycling, landfill and carbon impact.

The Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Merseyside –‘RESOURCES Merseyside’ has been agreed on the basis that district councils will decide the best collection system for their area and identified a menu of Options which have been developed as actions for change. These Options include:

• Joint Working: Local councils to consider joining forces to deliver services which could include joint collection contracts, shared collection services, joint communications, education and awareness and governance.

• Frequency of Waste Collections: Local councils to consider the best local system for the collection of refuse and recyclables. This could be a weekly household collection of materials such as recyclables one week and rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted the next week, or waste that cannot be recycled cab be collected every week . Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral districts have already implemented changes to the frequency of their household waste collections.

• Green Waste Charging: Consider charging residents for the garden waste they generate.

• Food Waste collections plus treatment: Consider introducing separate collections for food waste. Knowsley and Sefton have introduced opt in food waste collection schemes.

• No side waste: Consider a consistent approach across Merseyside regarding collections of any rubbish bags that do not fit inside a householder’s refuse bin.

Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority Chief Executive Carl Beer said: “Decisions will be entirely for individual District Councils to make on what they feel will best achieve their needs based on their own performance, resources and local circumstances.

“What we must all understand is that – however we do it – we have got to do more to change our behaviour where waste is concerned. Only then can we start to address critical environmental issues such as carbon reduction and landfill.”

Key targets outlined in the draft strategy include:

- Recycling 50% of household waste by 2020

- Reducing the total amount of waste produced per household on Merseyside to 1.18 tonnes per household per year by 2030 from 1.3 tonnes in 2010 (a reduction of 120kg per household per year).

- Reducing the amount of municipal waste landfilled to 10% of that produced in 1995 by 2020 and 2% by 2030.

- Reducing the carbon emissions from municipal waste management services

The Merseyside district councils have already helped develop the draft Strategy for Merseyside and a representative sample of more than 3,000 residents have also had their say via doorstep surveys, focus groups, roadshows and the ‘Don’t Waste Your Say’ campaign. This earlier consultation gave support to the draft objectives and delivery options now presented in the draft Strategy.

A summary document for the consultation which reflects their comments will be available from 27th June until 26th August 2011 so all members of the public from across Merseyside can add their views to the targets and ideas, designed to help Merseyside improve municipal waste management over the next thirty years and address some of the major resource challenges.

The key points of the new Strategy can be found by logging on to www.dontwasteyoursay.org/strategy-summary-stakeholders. The web page includes a feedback form where residents can leave their comments. Copies of the Strategy can also be obtained by calling: 0151 255 1444 or email: consultresources@merseysidewda.gov.uk. All comments will be read and taken into account before the Strategy is implemented at the start of 2012.

Ends

Note to Editors

• RESOURCES Merseyside is the new draft Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy which provides a range of options and targets for waste prevention, recycling and resource recovery as part of a revised blueprint for sustainable resource management for the region as a whole.

• RESOURCES Merseyside should not be confused with consultation on the Merseyside Waste Development Planning Document (or Waste DPD) being produced by Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS) to test views on potential locations of new waste facilities.

• More information about the Strategy Review can be found on www.dontwasteyoursay.org

• The Merseyside and Halton Waste Partnership is made up of Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral Councils and MWDA who have the responsibility for managing municipal waste across the Liverpool City Region. Halton Borough Council has a separate but aligned Municipal Waste Management Strategy.

• The waste reduction target equates to an 8% reduction in household waste arisings over the next 20 years and takes into account increased growth in the number of households and population on Merseyside during that period.

• The recycling rate for Merseyside in 2009/10 was 33%

• Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MWDA takes a lead in advocating resource management including re-use,recycling, waste prevention and safe and effective and sustainable disposal of waste for Merseyside’s residents. www.merseysidewda.gov.uk

MEDIA ENQUIRIES TO JON FLINN ON 0151 709 0505