Issue - meetings

This report has been prepared in response to a petition presented to Council by Cllr Potter on behalf of 60 students at the University of York. The report gives details of waste and recycling development already undertaken at the University and explores options for future development.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

i)                   That the Advisory Panel advise the Executive Member to approve option 2 to assess and implement bespoke arrangements for each domestic area at the University of York.

ii)                 That Officers continue to work with University staff and students to maximise recycling opportunities.

iii)               That the Officers in consultation with the Chair write to the University of York administration to request them to pass their land fill tax credits directly to the student recycling representatives to help carry out recycling schemes.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:            That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            Continuing to work closely with the University will reap rewards for the University and other York residents.

Members considered a report that had been prepared in response to a petition presented to Council by Councillor Potter on behalf of 60 students at the University of York.  The report gave details of waste and recycling development already undertaken at the University and explored options for future development.

Members were informed that City of York Council had collected domestic and commercial waste from the University for many years and until 2004, little emphasis had been placed on recycling with the majority of waste being taken to landfill. In 2004 the University of York tendered for the provision of a managed waste service, City of York Council, in partnership with Yorwaste had been successful in winning this service and the new contract started in September 2005.  Since the start of the contract, and with the support from the Student Union Environmental Representatives the University recycling rate had increased from 25% to 38%. Recycling was widely promoted throughout the campus and City of York Council was involved in providing officer time and marketing materials to assist in this. Due to lack of storage space, and the distance accommodation blocks were from central bin stores, many students, whilst actively recycling, were not engaged in the movement of the material to a central collection point.  In many areas of the University it was impossible to provide kerbside recycling largely due to the restrictions on vehicle access.

Members discussed and considered the options available:

Option 1

• The current kerbside scheme operated by the council to its residents could be expanded to encompass areas of the University campus containing domestic accommodation.

Option 2

·        A system of bespoke arrangements for each domestic area is assessed and implemented.

Members discussed the Universities recycling discounts and agreed that the Officers in consultation with the Chair would write to the University of York administration to request them to pass their land fill tax credits directly to the student recycling representatives to help carry out recycling schemes.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

i)                   That the Advisory Panel advise the Executive Member to approve option 2 to assess and implement bespoke arrangements for each domestic area at the University of York.

ii)                 That Officers continue to work with University staff and students to maximise recycling opportunities.

iii)               That the Officers in consultation with the Chair write to the University of York administration to request them to pass their land fill tax credits directly to the student recycling representatives to help carry out recycling schemes.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:            That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:            Continuing to work closely with the University will reap rewards for the University and other York residents.