BDR Waste Partnership

BDR PFI Waste Treatment Facility – Community Liaison Group Meeting on Monday, 3rd February 2020.

Attendance:

Non-members:

1. Chairmanship for 2020

Stratiji confirmed that current Chair had been unanimously elected chair of the CLG for the coming year and he had accepted the position.

2. Welcome

The acting chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and for the benefit of a new member attending for the first time, introductions were made round the table.

3. Apologies

Mike North

4. Minutes of last meeting

On 9th December 2019 were approved as a true record. 

5. Issues arising

The chairmanship had been resolved and there were no other issues arising. 

6. 3SE update

The Renewi Contract Director reported on a tragic accident to a Renewi employee in the Netherlands in December who was riding on the footplate of a collection vehicle. This practice is outlawed in the UK but is still allowed in mainland Europe. As a result, all Renewi’s 7,000 workforce – including Manvers - were undergoing extra health and safety training. In addition, new requirements have been introduced including the compulsory wearing of hard hats and a speed limit of 20km an hour on journeys of this kind. Fire improvement works at Manvers were completed before Christmas, training was taking place with staff and the new system would go live this coming weekend. FM2 at Ferrybridge was now fully operational and receiving Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from Manvers. The floor at Barnsley Transfer Station has been replaced, with work completed two weeks ahead of schedule. Work was also taking place on the refurbishment of some of the offices there. The Operations Manager reported that a biolfilter at Manvers was being replaced as part of an improvement plan submitted to the Environment Agency following an increase in the number of odour complaints. This work was almost complete.

7. BDR update

The BDR Manager said that since the General Election, attention was focused on the Environment Bill and its implications for services. Focus groups would be held and action plans drawn up to set targets for reducing our carbon footprint across the three BDR councils and Sheffield. Arrangements at Christmas had gone smoothly with no major issues reported.

8. CELO update

The CELO gave a presentation of a plan setting out the work to be undertaken during 20/21 to support the councils in preventing and reducing waste which had been agreed by Steering Committee. The work was split into five areas, each one a key priority for the councils.

Local community
Engaging the local community in waste matters, supporting them as a good neighbour, dealing with complaints and internal and external communications. This includes the recently launched £6,000 plus 120 volunteer hours Renewi Corporate Social Responsibility Fund for 20/21.
Funding bids and partnership opportunities
Identifying potential future funding sources and opportunities to develop key partnerships with organisations like WRAP, DEFRA and charities.
Targeted campaigns
Targeting, middle-performing areas to promote increased environmental behaviour to make them high performing and encourage residents to broaden their existing environmental behaviour. This year there would be seven campaigns, more than ever before, including Love Food Hate Waste, Love your Clothes, Recycle Week, a Christmas campaign (including a Christmas jumper swap shop), and the benefits of home composting with competitions for children and adults. There would also be weekly themed campaigns such as Tuesday is Re-use Day. The campaigns will be backed up by a waste composition analysis between February half term and Easter, focusing on recycling.
Schools and education
Educating residents of Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham both in and out of school through education visits and materials. A series of ‘It’s a Rubbish Adventure’ open days will be held at Manvers, with families able to book a place. An education campaign with schools will focus on how they can reduce their waste. Bookings are being taken for 24 site visits to the facility, available dates are on the BDR website.
Local authority support
Supporting Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Councils in the delivery of their current activities and service enhancements or changes. This would include helping to staff events like Rotherham Show and Penistone Show.
CLG members supported the proposals in the plan, particularly the focus on education as they felt children would encourage their parents to be more environmentally friendly. They also stressed the need to promote giving clothes and items to charity shops and other organisations rather than throwing them away and felt people could help their elderly neighbours do this by offering to collect and deliver items. 

9. Communications update

Stratiji reported on press releases and social media posts issued on reducing food waste at Christmas and the launch of the 2020/21 Renewi Corporate Social Responsibility Fund. A warning had also been posted on the BDR website, local authority websites and the Waste Less South Yorkshire website, together with social media posts, about the dangers of discarding batteries and firelighters in household waste. This followed fires at Household Waste Recycling Centres in Lincolnshire.

10. Any other business

A CLG member enquired about where to leave textiles for kerbside recycling and what could be disposed of in this way. The advice was that textiles left for kerbside recycling would turned into rags and it was better to pass them on to charity shops or animal sanctuaries if possible to extend their use. Shoes (paired up), towels and bedsheets could be left at the kerbside for recycling, but not duvets or pillows. A CLG member asked about the best way to dispose of machine embroidery stainless steel needles. The CELO promised to look into this. The member also complained that signs on the small traffic island outside the facility could not be seen because they were covered with mud, and there was also a large pothole in the roadway there.

Action: CELO to establish best way of disposing of the needles and get back to the CLG member.

Action: BDR Manager to report the pothole to Highways.

Action: Renewi Contract Director to organise cleaning of the road signs.

11. Date, time and venue for next meeting

This will be on Monday, 30th March, 7pm at the Visitor Centre.