Agenda item

County Mixed Dry Recyclables Procurement

(To receive a report by John Coates, Head of Waste, which invites the Committee to consider a report regarding the strategy behind and the procurement of a new mixed dry recycling (MDR) contract commencing in 2020. This decision is due to be considered by the Executive on the 05 November 2019 and the views of this Committee will be reported to the Executive as part of the consideration of this item)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which outlined the strategy behind the procurement of a new mixed dry recycling (MDR) contract commencing in 2020.  It was reported that the decision was due to be considered by the Executive on 5 November 2019.

 

It was also reported that approval would be sought for a short extension of existing arrangements in order to enable the most advantageous procurement process to be followed and ensure appropriate transition arrangements to a new service if necessary.

 

Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions to the officers present in relation to the information contained within the report and some of the points raised during discussion included the following:

·         It was clarified that the term of the contract was 5 years with up to two extensions of one year each.

·         Paragraph 8 referred to pre-sorted materials going straight to the re-processor, and it was queried whether this had been agreed.  Members were advised that including this within the contract allowed for if source separation was introduced, for example separate paper collection.  This would provide flexibility without having to go back out to procurement.

·         It was queried how much consideration have been given to the location of collections centres, to ensure that materials were not being transported across the county.  It was also queried whether there was scope to have more local specialised collection centres.  It was noted that there were no Material Recovery Facilities (MRF's) in Lincolnshire at this time.  However, the government's waste strategy was going through parliament which could bring significant change.  There was a need to go to market with the greatest degree of flexibility.  Officers were relying on the market to provide the best solution to deal with recyclables.  It was likely that more source separation would be introduced within the next 5-10 years.

·         It was queried whether the existing arrangements could be extended for more than a year.  Members were advised that this was not possible.  The three month extension had been requested in order to obtain the most beneficial procurement.  Legally, there was a need to have something in place.

·         The EfW would continue to be an asset and the removal of food from the waste stream would create additional capacity.  However, it was also noted that with the increased media interest in plastics, plastics were one material that was going up in value.  Source separation was more costly to fund but did provide a better quality product.  It was hoped that it would be left to local authorities to decide what they collected.

·         It was thought there could be benefits to collecting plastics, however lower grade plastics did go to the EfW.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    That the Committee support the recommendations to the Executive as set out in the report.

2.    That the following comments be passed to the Executive for consideration:

·         The Committee recommended that further consideration should be given to reduce the carbon footprint from haulage from the transport of mixed dry recyclables as part of the procurement process.

·         The Committee supported the development of more localised infrastructure to process Mixed Dry Recyclables. The Committee highlighted the benefits of building and operating a materials recovery facility (MRF), either directly or via a contractor and highlighted this as a future aspiration for greater commercialisation.

 

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