Brent Friends of the Earth’s response to Brent’s Waste Policy Consultation and proposal for compulsory recycling

We support Brent’s commitment to increasing the recycling rate. 

We also strongly support steps to reduce waste in the first place and to re-use items wherever possible in accordance with the principle “Reduce- Re-use- Recycle”.

Steps the council could take
In our view the best way to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill is for the council to seek to change attitudes to waste in the borough, by working with residents, businesses, schools, hospitals, sports centres, cinemas etc. to bring about a different culture.  The council should lead the way by:

·Providing segregated street bins for paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles and cans
·Searching for markets for more materials, such as mixed plastics
·Providing opportunities for recycling at festivals and other events in the borough 
·Promoting the use of the smaller 120 litre grey waste bins
·Supporting and promoting nappy washing services (disposable nappies make up 2% of waste going to landfill)
·Supporting community repair and re-use schemes for furniture and electrical items
·Supporting and promoting existing schemes such as Freecycle
·Composting leaves swept up from street trees 
·Setting up a “wood bank” and paint re-use facility at the recycling centre
·Supporting community composting schemes and organising events to promote home composting
·Working with businesses to reduce packaging and phase out single-use carrier bags
·Ensuring that good recycling facilities are included in all new developments

By taking steps such as these the council will be able to promote a “Zero Waste” philosophy in accordance with the new Waste Strategy for England.



Compulsory recycling
The members of Brent Foe were not unanimous on the question of whether recycling should become compulsory in Brent.  We all support the council’s work both in schools and with residents and businesses to promote waste reduction and recycling of items which cannot be re-used.  We do not all support the idea of failure by residents to place their waste in the correct bin becoming a criminal offence.

Barnet
Para 3.34  of the Waste Policy and Compulsory Recycling report refers to the compulsory recycling scheme introduced by Barnet in March 2005.  The recycling participation rate in a pilot area increased from 50% to 80%.
However, this increase may have more to do with Barnet having successfully changed attitudes to waste rather than to the compulsory nature of the scheme.  Barnet’s website lists many initiatives including a “real nappy campaign” to promote use of non-disposable nappies, tips on how to be a “smart shopper” and how to reduce food waste. 
There is no mention on the website of the fact that the scheme is compulsory and no suggestion that waste bins will not be emptied if they contain recylables.  The tone is “Help us to help you- Recycle as much of your waste as possible to help us improve the environment and meet our Government targets”  In fact an on-line poll shows that food waste is still going into Barnet waste bins, with 17% of respondents saying it makes up  more than half of their waste. 

The Audit Commission
The performance ratings for recycling in Brent and Barnet are the same (3 star).  Of the other London boroughs which have introduced compulsory recycling, only Bromley has 4 stars.  Other 4 star boroughs are Camden, City of London and Kensington and Chelsea which do not have compulsory recycling.  We do not place too much emphasis on the star ratings or on the 2006 performance indicators (pre-dating the new Veolia contract), but there is no clear link between compulsory recycling and high performance ratings.

“Brent Green Zones Project”
One way of working with residents to increase awareness of the benefits of recycling is the new “Brent Green Zones Project”, the brainwave of a former member of this group who is also a Brent Streetwatcher.  Under the project neighbours would work to increase the recycling participation rate in their street and to become more efficient in their use of water and energy.  It would have the additional benefit of promoting a sense of community and of pride in the local environment.  A representative of our group has been working with the council to realise this project which is currently being piloted in Haycroft Gardens, NW10.  Graeme Maughan and Chantelle Oti of Streetcare, Policy Support are involved with the project within the council.

If recycling became compulsory the Green Zones project would lose most of its purpose, although it would be a good way of working with residents as described in para 5.1 of the Supporting Information.

Recovery of energy from waste
This is the more positive way to describe incineration.  We do not support incineration of even “residual waste”.  The description of landfill on p.5 of the Supporting Information as “waste slowly rotting in holes in the ground releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and toxic liquids into the ground” is not an accurate description of a landfill site operated in accordance with current legislation and good practice. 

One member of our group  recently visited the Springfield Farm landfill site, Beaconsfield on a Brent Streetwaters outing where steps were taken to ensure that no leachate entered the soil or watertable below the site and methane and other gases were captured and piped to a gas-burning power station on site.

It is important not to exaggerate the horrors of landfill in order to make incineration seem a more attractive option. 

The presence of an incinerator acts as a powerful disincentive to recycling.  Councils no longer have to worry about the financial burden of the landfill tax and have no incentive to support recycling initiatives. Residents may feel that their waste is usefully producing power and not see the benefit of the “Reduce- Re-use-Recycle” principle.  This is the situation in Lewisham where at least one community composting project (the Pepys Estate project) is at risk due to lack of council support. 

Conclusion
We urge the council to take a strong lead to help change attitudes to waste in Brent.  It is not enough to react to the threat of the increased landfill tax.  It is not enough to make recycling compulsory without the genuine will to work towards waste reduction and recycling for its own sake.  There is an opportunity to explore new initiatives including supporting the fledgling “Brent Green Zones Project” and putting into practice some of the ideas described in the Supplementary Information.

We would welcome the opportunity to continue to work in partnership with Brent on this issue after the consultation period has ended.

Drawn up by Elaine Henderson on behalf of Brent Friends of the Earth October 2007