Agenda item

Mr Wimble- Cabinet Member for Environment presented the item

1.    Mr Wimble presented the proposed procurement for the receipt and processing of organic waste across the entire county. The decision represented a significant step in ensuring that the council continued to meet statutory obligations as a waste disposal authority, while also supporting broader environmental objectives.

2.    The new contract was scheduled to commence in April 2026 and would consolidate existing arrangements into a county-wide solution and was expected to deliver opportunities for innovation, improved efficiency, and greater value for money.

3.    Members were encouraged to note the emphasis on maintaining flexibility in response to forthcoming waste reforms and the financial implications associated with the collection and processing of food and green waste.

4.    Members asked if the extension of existing contracts would require further renumeration in light of the recent increase to National Insurance (NI) contributions and also queried on how far the council would be able to deviate costs and any increased risk of litigation.

5.    Officers suggested that initial discussions with contractors had indicated that they were willing to adhere to the terms previously agreed. It was also discussed that updated contracts now included clauses that reflected the recent changes to national insurance contributions.

6.    Members raised the need to work with districts to prevent green waste and food waste from being combined and driving costs up. In response to a question about whether the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) funding officers confirmed that this particular funding source could only be used for packaging waste and not organic matter. Members suggested that this funding streams exact use be explained via a paper at a later cabinet committee.

7.    In relation to Section 3.2 on page 93, officers were asked to clarify what measures of education were in place help prevent green waste from failing to meet standards without pretreatment. Officers acknowledged the observation and would look to engage with customers within the HWLC sites, encouraging site staff to engage with the public to help reduce contamination.

8.    Members asked for clarification that Kent’s waste would be going directly to Kent waste centres and that no other county would be accessing these sites to dispose of waste. Officers acknowledged the concern Mr Jones highlighted how the booking system now acted as a control mechanism for access and that cross-border policies that were in place were subject to additional monitoring.

RESOLVED to endorse the proposed decision, namely:

That the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport agree to:

(i)             APPROVE the procurement and contract award of an organic waste contract for an initial 5 years, (plus an extension of up to 5 years) commencing 1st April 2026.

(ii)            DELEGATE authority to the Director of Environment and Circular Economy to take relevant actions to facilitate the required procurement activity.

(iii)          DELEGATE authority to the Director of Environment and Circular Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision; and

(iv)           DELEGATE authority to the Director of Environment and Circular Economy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment to award extensions of the contract in accordance with the relevant clauses within the contract; as shown at Appendix A.