Waste strategy: policy and strategic drivers

The waste hierarchy

This strategy is based on the principle of the waste hierarchy.

The waste hierarchy is set out in Article 4 of the Waste Framework (Directive 2008/98/EC)1, it ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment.

It stresses the importance of preventing waste being created in the first instance as the main priority, and disposal as the lowest priority.

As an organisation producing or collecting waste, we have a legal obligation to manage waste as high up the hierarchy as possible.

This strategy aims to raise awareness of waste management within the community to drive material up the waste hierarchy.

The waste hierarchy is:

Reduce

Minimises the generation of waste products.

Reuse

Redistribute for continued use, minimal processing.

Recycle

Collection of used items, turning them back into raw material.

Energy recovery

Includes anaerobic digestion and incineration with energy recovery.

Landfill

Last resort, no recovery of raw materials or energy.

The national context

Things are changing in waste and recycling. In the future, the materials we collect and the way they are collected are likely to be heavily influenced by the latest national resources and waste strategy.

"Our Waste, Our Resources: A Strategy for England" was released in December 2018 and is the first document of its kind since 2007.

The strategy sets out the key objectives for dealing with waste and suggests ways in which these objectives can be achieved. Much of the strategy has been subject to consultation, in 2019 and 2021.

Following this, The Environment Act reached Royal Assent in November 2021. The act will allow the government to implement policies to deliver consistent and frequent recycling collections across England.

The act paves the way for regulations to be developed in the future. These regulations will set out exactly how government policy will be implemented.

The act grants power to the secretary of state to make regulations, including:

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, for packaging

Extended producer responsibility passes the cost of dealing with packaging waste back to packaging manufacturers and retailers.

It encourages them to reduce the amount of packaging they put on the market and to make packaging more recyclable.

This will lead to packaging producers providing funding to councils to pay for the collection, recycling, or disposal of packaging.

Deposit return scheme regulations, for drinks containers

A deposit return scheme will see the introduction of a small deposit added to the price of metal and plastic drinks containers. This deposit can be redeemed by the consumer if they take it to a designated return point.

The measure aims to reduce litter and increase recycling of these items.

The government is also aiming to increase consistency in recycling across all households, including what materials should be collected and how they should be separated.

The act amends existing legislation to confirm that, with regard to both household waste and business waste:

• recyclable waste must be collected separately from other waste
• recyclable waste includes glass, metal, plastic, paper/card, food waste, and garden waste
• recyclable waste streams must be collected separately from each other, unless not technically/economically practicable or if there is no environmental benefit in doing so

According to the government consultations, plastic pots, tubs and trays, plastic film, and foil will be included as materials which must be collected for recycling (beverage cartons may also be included, subject to government requirements). 

Change in the New Forest is essential because current services do not comply with these requirements.

The government is also developing a new waste prevention programme, which will set out priorities for actions to manage resources and waste in line with the waste hierarchy and focuses on preventing waste by reuse, repair and remanufacture of products.

We must also look to provide the safest working practices for our staff. Health and Safety Executive research recommends that in order to minimise musculoskeletal injuries, where possible wheeled bins should be used for waste and recycling instead of bags and boxes.

We must also look to provide the safest working practices for our staff.

Health and Safety Executive research recommends that in order to minimise musculoskeletal injuries, where possible wheeled bins should be used for waste and recycling instead of bags and boxes.

The regional context

Our waste and recycling collection service is a small part of the overall waste management infrastructure in Hampshire.

We need to ensure the way we collect waste, the mix of materials, the frequency of collection and the way it is presented, allows us to work collaboratively with other councils across Hampshire.

Currently, all other Hampshire authorities collect general waste and recycling using wheeled bins. The sorting systems for recycling are designed to process material that is received loose (like from wheeled bins) and ready to be put through mechanical sorting processes.

This is currently not compatible with our collection system, whereby bags have to be split by hand on arrival at the materials recovery facility.

The current material recovery facilities in Hampshire are approaching the end of their life.

Along with the new government measures, this is a key driver for a new, Hampshire wide approach to dealing with waste. To this end, In October 2021, we approved a new 3 year "Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy" (JMWMS).

The new Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy aligns with the proposed national changes and will allow the New Forest to continue to utilise the disposal infrastructure provided by Hampshire County Council.

Therefore, we must move towards a twin-stream collection of recycling (paper/card and mixed recyclables) and a weekly food waste service.

The local context

Declaration of a climate change and nature emergency in the New Forest At a cabinet meeting on 6 October 2021, the motion to declare a climate and nature emergency was discussed by councillors and the recommendation was agreed.

A climate change action plan was adopted in February 2022.

This action plan includes an action to develop and adopt a new waste strategy, and to ensure that the environmental impact of household waste generated in the New Forest is reduced.

New Forest District Council corporate plan 2020 to 2024

We have set out our vision for the New Forest through to 2024 in our corporate plan.

The relevant environment and coastal portfolio key priorities are:

• working with others to protect and enhance our natural environment
• reducing waste and increasing recycling

Specific actions for waste and recycling throughout include:

• contributing towards the overall sustainability strategy, identifying local actions to address the impact of climate changes
• cabinet approval of the waste strategy during 2022
• procuring an operations ICT system to support the waste strategy

Success will be measured by the following achievement indicators:

• increase in household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting (%)

The waste strategy 2022 to 2027 actively supports the achievements of these priorities.