Angus residents will have to change their attitudes and “think recycling” if the local authority is to avoid stringent landfill fines.
Council chiefs have admitted that achieving tough new government recycling targets by 2025 “will be challenging.”
However, scrutiny and audit convener Bob Spink said it is achievable if they can get the support of the Angus public and change recycling attitudes.
A scrutiny panel set up to consider the progress towards zero waste has issued a report following a year-long intensive investigation.
A 70% target has been set for all waste to be recycled by 2025 and a maximum 5% target for all waste to be sent to landfill by the same year.
Mr Spink said: “The Waste Strategy Report found that in 2012/13 the recycling rate in Angus at 39.81% was close to the national average of 41.70%.
“The Angus figure in fact declined in that year due to the Dundee DERL recycling facility used by Angus being closed for a large part of the year due to a fire.
“However information from the trial kerbside recycling scheme indicated that the recycling rate had increased from 18% pre-trial to 55% during the trial.
“The Scottish Government Zero Waste Plan published in June 2012 indicated that by 2025 70% of all of Scotland’s waste should be recycled with only 5% ending in landfill.”
“An intermediate target of recycling/composting 50% of household waste should be achieved by 2013.
“The panel concluded that they are confident Angus will achieve the intermediate target and that we will achieve a recycling rate of over 60%, although the Scottish Government target of 70% by 2025 will be challenging but achievable.
“To help us meet this target we depend hugely on public support, both in their understanding of the magnitude of the task and the problems we are sure must crop up along the way, but most of all by carrying out to the best of their ability the collection regimes set out by the council.”
Mr Spink said the public needs to “think recycling” if Angus is to meet the targets by 2025. The panel also made 10 recommendations in its report which will all be taken forward.
Mr Spink added: “They are all aimed towards the key objectives of best value and of securing the best waste recycling record in Angus measured against other local authorities thus ensuring that we are ‘doing our bit’ to assist the waste strategy, reduce our carbon footprint, and be an example to other regions.”
The recommendations set out in the report included:
* Following the completion of the roll-out of kerbside recycling, a cost efficiency exercise should be completed.
* A service review of recycling centres should be undertaken.
* An overall strategy for waste management and recycling should be prepared, which can be updated as regulations change.
* Recycling levels should be monitored by route to indicate effectiveness and identify any variances that arise.
There are also plans to make the public aware of the arrangements for and the benefits of recycling with particular emphasis on food wate.
The pilot study discovered there appeared to be a reluctance to use this facility. The report said the panel is confident that Angus will fulfil the immediate requirements of Scotland’s Zero Waste strategy for the following reasons:
* The current recycling rate is close to the national average;
* The circumstances that led to a reduction in performance were one-off in nature;
* The plans to roll-out kerbside recycling are well developed, based on learning from the pilot scheme.
The panel has made nine recommendations to form an action plan which will be monitored by the scrutiny and audit committee.The report stated: “In terms of recycling activity, the panel recognised that Angus Council was a high-performing council at one time, then we plateaued and other authorities developed their services at a faster pace.
“Officers provided clear, honest information. It was clear that all options had been considered, and the council is now committed to a specific course of action.”