Issue - meetings

Presentation by the Chief Executive of the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority

The Committee received a presentation from Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority on her authority’s service delivery plan 2023/24. Ms. Worswick highlighted the following 4 aims of the Corporate Plan:

·       Improve the sustainable management of waste and resource. Information was provided on the Recycling Discovery Centre; the Southport Eco-Centre; education resources; the circular economy; food waste collection; campaigns regarding lithium batteries, home composting and recycling; and the community fund in partnership with Veolia.

·       Delivery of effective waste services. Information was provided on the Merseyside Energy Recovery Limited, appointed on a 30-year contract in 2013 by MRWA to divert household waste from landfill; and the Waste Management and Recycling contract with Veolia.

·       Co-operate to improve working arrangements. Information was provided on food waste collection; and zero waste strategies.

·       Measure and report on climate change impacts and sustainability improvements. Information was provided on sustainable development goals; carbon footprint; biodiversity; overall recycling rates from 2017-18 to 2021-22 for Sefton v the City Region; and contamination rates.

Ms Worswick concluded by detailing what MRWA wanted to achieve and its key priorities. 

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following matters:

·       The more prevalent use of mobile scooters requiring the use of batteries and charging equipment with the resultant risk of combusting in the home and when disposed of; and information was sought on the availability of safer batteries for such purposes.

·       In respect of the food waste collection scheme it was suggested that some dwellings such as flats and apartments may not be suitable for the scheme; but that the use of communal bins, in communal areas, may resolve such issues; and whether funding was available for this.

It was also noted that the re-launch of the food waste collection service was included in the contract with Veolia; that details of the scheme were being worked on; and that by December 2023 a clearly scoped set of timelines, activities and high-level costs would be developed.

·       The campaign to raise awareness of the disposal of lithium batteries was referred to; and it was acknowledged that other incorrectly disposed of items such as vapes, which also contained lithium batteries, and pressurised whipped cream chargers (being used for psychoactive substance use) also posed dangers of combustion/explosion.

·       It was noted that Sefton’s overall recycling rates over the last 5 years were consistently above the Liverpool City Region average; but that worryingly, recycling rates were falling across Sefton and the City Region.

·       It was noted that the current waste management and recycling contract would shortly need to be re-tendered; and information was sought on business competitiveness in the waste management industry.     

RESOLVED:

That Lesley Worswick be thanked for her informative presentation.