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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change |
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Date |
3 March 2021 |
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Present |
Councillors Widdowson |
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Apologies |
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20. Declarations of Interest
At this point in the meeting, the Executive Member was asked
to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of
Interests, or any prejudicial or discloseable pecuniary interests
she may have in respect of business on the agenda. None were
declared.
21. Minutes
Resolved: That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 6 January 2021 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.
22. Public Participation
It was reported that there had been 2 registrations to speak at the session under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Robert Gordon raised concerns that he felt the Council was being unambitious and the proposals in the report would not work towards elevating climate change. He suggested that the Council should take the opportunity to begin collecting both food waste and a wider range of plastics at curb side, rather than wait on national changes in 2023. He also requested that the Council investigate what else it could collect to be recycled.
Cllr Rosie Baker noted that she was pleased with a number of steps that Council had taken to addressing the Climate Emergency in waste, such as new electric vehicles. However, she noted that she wished to see the Council explore further increasing the number of materials and food waste collections. She also welcomed the extension to garden waste collections but requested that it be expanded to all streets in the city.
23. Waste Report Update as requested by Executive October 2019
Officers introduced the report, noting work undertaken since the Executive in October 2019 agreed to a review of recycling methodology. It was confirmed that a review of the Council’s strategy was required before new vehicles were purchased. Discussion took place about the prospect of increasing the number of materials collected and the collection of food waste. Government changes to their waste and resources strategy meant that the Council would hold on adding additional materials or food waste collection until national policy was announced and potential additional funding. It was confirmed that food waste is currently recovered and used at Alton Park and moving to collections would likely require weekly collections which the Council does not currently offer.
Resolved:
i. Noted the Government’s waste and resources strategy, in particular the uncertainty over food waste and how collections would be funded which is therefore food waste would be considered as a future development once the government have clarified the national position;
ii. Noted the Government’s waste and resources strategy, in particular the suggestion of a deposit scheme for plastic which is likely to change the way plastics are used and recycled. Therefore considering the recent expansion of plastic recycling agreed by Executive further increasing the range of plastics would be considered as a future development once the government have clarified the national position.
iii. Noted the environmental concerns with fully mixed recycling that mixes glass, plastics, paper and card and the fact this has been in a number of high profile cases shipped around the world illegally. Also the lack of local outlets for fully mixed recycling is an issue and therefore exclude fully mixed recycling from this review.
iv. To accept the recommended options and criteria outlined in the report and request officers to develop a series of different recycling collection methodologies.
v. Request E&P Scrutiny to consider the options developed by officers against the criteria and identify a preferred option to be developed further.
vi. Delegate the decision to consult more widely on a preferred option to the Assistant Director of Transport, Highways and Environment in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change.
Reason: To ensure York takes the opportunity to increase its
recycling rate.
Cllr. P. Widdowson, Executive Member
[The meeting started at 5.01 pm and finished at 5.16 pm].