Agenda item

Kitchen Food Waste Service Rollout

Decision:

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive:

a) Recognised and accepted the grant from DEFRA for the capital infrastructure relating to introducing a food waste service of £2,495,563in line with the grant conditions. The approval of the capital project forms part of the Capital Updates report elsewhere on the Executive agenda;

b) In line with the approval of the capital project, approved commencement of procurement of vehicles, containers and other items associated with the mobilisation of the new food waste collection service;

c) Delegated authority to the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, in consultation with Executive Director for Place & Economy, Executive Director for Finance and Performance and the Executive Member for Finance, the authority to take any further decisions and actions required to implement the new service including the procurement process and award of the contracts, without the need to return to the Executive. This will include updating the North Northamptonshire Waste and Recycling Policy to reflect the new services.

Reasons for Recommendations:

· The proposed option ensures compliance with Government requirements to collect food waste from residential properties from 1^st April 2026.

· The recommended course of action will allow the Council to secure the most cost-effective solution for North Northamptonshire residents.

This approach ensures the Council has legally procured and has a compliant contract in place for the provision of services that provide a direct benefit to residents by collecting their waste.

Alternative Options Considered:

· Contract out the collection service, requiring the supplier to manage the procurement of infrastructure items. This option is not recommended as it does not reflect the operational in-house arrangements in place and is anticipated to be more expensive given the overheads an external provider will place on the procurement of infrastructure items.

· Take no action. This option is not recommended as it will mean that the Council does not meet its statutory obligations in respect of its duties as a Waste Collection Authority.

Minutes:

The Chair invited Cllr Valerie Anslow to address the meeting. Cllr Anslow welcomed the new government requirement to collect kitchen food waste and made reference to composting, government grant funding and the potential impact of additional bins on flats and Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Cllr Anslow noted the need to make a concerted effort to explain to residents what contents were acceptable in the new bins and raised concerns regarding a possible increase in pest control considerations arising from their introduction.

The Chair thanked Cllr Anslow for her comments before inviting Cllr Lyn Buckingham to speak. Cllr Buckingham noted that Corby already had a food waste collection service, although there remained areas such as flats that did not receive the service and questioned whether these locations would form part of the new rollout. Cllr Buckingham also noted the need to educate people in relation to the new service.

The Chair thanked Cllr Buckingham for her comments before inviting the Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, Cllr Matt Binley to introduce a report that sought approval to confirm allocation of the funding received from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for the capital expenditure associated with the new statutory responsibilities for the Council under s45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to provide weekly food waste collections to all households.

Cllr Binley acknowledged the need for education around the new service as to what could be collected and what could not. Cllr Binley also noted that food waste would be contained within a solid plastic bin thereby deterring rodents. Cllr Binley stated that the report before members had been many months in production, with all aspects of the future service considered including inconsistencies in existing service provision.

Cllr Binley stated that government’s waste collection scheme, called Simpler Recycling, introduced standardised requirements for recyclable or compostable waste collections across England, which included the requirement for weekly household food waste collections.

The report before members sought approval of the allocation of £2,495,563 of funding received for capital expenditure to implement the required infrastructure to commence the project and to carry out procurements ready to start collections on the target start date of 1^st April 2026. Funding for the transitional stage, ongoing resource and revenue costs would be allocated from DEFRA.

It was noted that the Council currently operated a kerbside food waste collection service in the East Northamptonshire and Corby areas; therefore, the project would require a roll out of the service to Kettering and Wellingborough.

It was further noted that there would be a large number of local authorities seeking to procure the same equipment in order to provide the service, therefore there was a need to act expeditiously.

Cllr Binley stated that the service would be promoted across the whole of the Council area including areas where the service was currently in operation, as it was anticipated that this would help to increase uptake in the existing service areas. The meeting heard that savings would be derived for every tonne of food waste that was diverted from residual waste.

Cllr Binley reported that where new vehicles were procured there was an aim for these to be electric to help reduce carbon emissions, with the service playing an important role towards the Council’s target of being carbon neutral by 2030.

Cllr Binley concluded by offering thanks to the government and DEFRA for bringing in the amended Environment Protection Act and for providing the Council with the allocation of capital funding outlined above.

Cllr Helen Howell spoke to welcome report, noting the success of the existing scheme in Corby and East Northamptonshire.

Cllr Harriet Pentland also welcomed the report, noting that the Climate Change Impact Assessment tool that formed part of the report indicated a significant positive environmental impact associated with the proposals. Cllr Pentland stated that the waste team would work hard to provide information and resources to residents using the service.

Cllr David Howes also acknowledged the need for education for residents and members regarding the new service as well as noting the link between the new service and green waste collections.

Concluding debate, Cllrs Edwards and Brackenbury spoke to welcome the governmental grant that would enable the service to be provided, with the latter also noting the success of the existing service in East Northamptonshire.