Agenda item

To consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste to award contractual arrangements for the disposal and processing of recycled materials collected by these two Waste Collection Authorities (Tonbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (TMBC)) up to a 4-year contract period.

Simon Jones (Director of Highways, Transportation and Waste) and David Beaver (Head of Waste Management Services) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Jones introduced the report that set out the proposal to enter into a contract for the processing of dry recycling materials collected at the kerbside by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (TMBC).  As a result of changes to the mix of co-mingled dry recyclable materials which were to be collected at the kerbside by Boroughs from September 2019, Kent County Council needed to source an alternative supplier who could process the waste at a Material Recycling Facility (MRF).

2.    Officers responded to Members comments and questions as follows:

(a)  Mr Jones said that the final decision paperwork would include the updated version of the Kent Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy.

(b)  In response to queries regarding the four-year duration of the contract and whether this was an efficient length of time to obtain maximum value, Mr Jones said the four-year period was the maximum term permitted through the proposed buying framework and was based on two factors; the availability and capacity of the Material Recycling Facilities (MRF’s).The four-year duration also offered KCC greater flexibility in terms of aligning itself to the commodity rates and ensured a shared risk of price variances with the provider during the life of the contract.

(c)  Mr Jones said that the current MRF was located in Crayford, however, discussions had taken place with various stakeholders to identify potential sites for a further MRF and assured the Committee that they would be informed should there be any further updates.

(d)  Mr Beaver informed Members that in 2018 the Committee approved the South West Kent Partnership model (Decision 18/00023 - Inter-Authority Agreement in respect of the management of the Waste Project between Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC)) which commissioned a new kerbside model of waste collection to significantly increase recycling and composting rates. However, due to the revised borough collection specification which separated paper and card from glass, cans and plastic, the original contracted MRF in Crayford could no longer process the new recycling mix and therefore a new MRF needed to be identified.

(e)  In terms of the income generated through recycling, Mr Beaver said that the only materials that produced an income for KCC were paper, cardboard, textiles and batteries.

(f)   Mr Beaver referred again to the decision paper that was approved in 2018 and said that the South West Kent Waste Partnership agreed a system of performance payments whereby the savings generated through diverting residual waste from Allington would be shared between the two district councils and Kent County Council. Mr Beaver said that the new proposed commissioning solution would offer savings of £1m a year and had already been activated in Gravesham Borough Council which had achieved a minimum level of 20% recycling and received increased payments from KCC. The scheme was due to be rolled out in East Kent in 20201 and throughout Mid-Kent in 2023.

3.    RESOLVED that the proposed decision (19/00040) to be taken by The Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste to award contractual arrangements for the disposal and processing of recycled materials collected by these two Waste Collection Authorities up to a 4-year contract period, be endorsed.