Strategy for Thurrock
The government's resource and waste strategy for England sets out how councils can play their part in saving natural resources. This includes minimising the need to use resources, and encouraging residents, local businesses and council services to recycle and re-use items.
Go to GOV.UK: Resources and waste strategy for England.
Municipal Waste Strategy for Thurrock, 2021-2031
We have a legal and moral obligation to increase recycling and re-use rates.
Our waste strategy for Thurrock sets out how we will engage with residents residents so they are able to provide high-quality recyclables for us to collect.
Our waste disposal choices will make the most of materials we collect and will improve our recycling performance.
Our objectives within the strategy are as follows.
Objective 1 – eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging from the waste stream
How we will achieve this – we will:
- help to educate our residents with regards to single-use plastics (SUPs), creating a 'Plastic Pact' that residents and businesses, education facilities alike can sign up to and commit to reducing the use of SUPs
- work with local businesses and join existing forums that focus on the elimination of SUPs, so that Thurrock Council is a local leader with regards to eliminating this unnecessary waste stream
- lead by example and work with our supply chains, satellite-buildings and procurement channels to ensure that the Council does not buy products which cause unnecessary waste
- support the enforcement of this by responding to the government consultations on the Plastic Tax and Extended Producer Responsibility
- support the objectives of the government's 25-year Environment Plan, and the work of WRAP who aim to eliminate all unnecessary SUPs by 2025
How we will we measure this – we will:
- support the work of the Waste Recycling Action Programme (WRAP), which is leading and monitoring the project to remove unnecessary SUPs by 2025
- monitor the impact on waste-arising within Thurrock, with particular reference to Kgs produced per head
- observe the number of signatories to the 'Plastic Pact'
Objective 2 – minimise production of waste and create awareness amongst our residents about the impact of waste
How we will we achieve this – we will:
- work towards setting up a re-use partnership, with a local charity or community group, to re-use or re-purpose waste brought into the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC)
- redevelop the HWRC to include a reuse area or facility to encourage and facilitate the reuse of materials and items
- support the 'Love food, hate waste' campaign
- work and support existing re-use groups
- support partnerships between supermarkets and food banks
How we will we measure this – we will:
- monitor the following performance indicators:
- kilograms per head
- total waste arising
- tonnage reused from the reuse partnership and HWRC
- monitor the budget and report any impacts of the reduction in waste
Objective 3 – increase our recycling rate to 50% by 2025
How we will we achieve this – we will:
- provide separate food waste collections, and reduce the amount of residual waste that is collected
- make sure we comply with the government's Consistency Agenda, and collect the required materials from the kerbside
- redevelopment of the HWRC, and investigate best-practice to make recycling easier and a more attractive option to landfill
- provide clear collection schedules
- better utilise the 'Bartec' In-Cab Data System in the vehicles to enable real time reporting
- provide clear information and infrastructure for residents in Flats to recycle
- support Government proposals for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
- reduce contamination in recycling bins through targeted communications
- use targeted and proportionate enforcement
How we will we measure this – we will:
- monitor the percentage of household waste recycled
- monitor the percentage of municipal waste recycled
- monitor the recycling rate at the HWRC
Objective 4 – carry out waste collection and disposal in the most carbon-efficient way
How we will achieve this – we will:
- investigate the use of Electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (E-RCVs)
- ensure that we have long term waste treatment contracts in place, that offer the best possible environmental solution for residual waste
- investigate the feasibility of developing a Waste Transfer Station in Thurrock, to enable our operational team to function more efficiently and to provide a facility for commercial waste disposal
How we will monitor this – we will:
- monitor the percentage of household waste to Energy from Waste (EfW)
- monitor the percentage of municipal waste to landfill
- monitor the carbon calculation through reduced vehicle mileages on collection rounds and onward disposal transportation
Objective 5 – become an authority that wants to send zero waste to landfill
How we will we achieve this – we will:
- procure value for money contracts which avoid sending waste to landfill
- educate residents regarding the impact of landfill and the environmental benefits of waste reduction
- lead by example in the materials we use and the processes we follow
How we will we monitor this – we will:
- monitor the percentage of household waste to landfill
- monitor the percentage of municipal waste to landfill