By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
The public will get to have their say on a new waste plan which aims to get recycling rates in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire above 65 per cent.
Both the city and county councils have put together the draft Waste Local Plan, which is now going to a full consultation.
The current ‘Waste Core Strategy’ was adopted in May 2013 and is now “out of date”, the councils said. The new plan will look ahead to 2038.
The city council approved the paper at the Executive Board meeting on July 18.
At the county council’s cabinet meeting on July 20, councillors also approved the plans which will now go out to the public.
The plan is underpinned by two concepts – the circular economy and the waste hierarchy.
The circular economy is about keeping resources in use for as long as possible and then recovering and regenerating products at the end of their life.
The waste hierarchy is about preventing waste in the first place – and prioritising reuse and recycling before disposal, which should be a “last resort”.
“We will promote waste management facilities’ adaptability to climate
change and secure energy efficiency and sustainable building
techniques whilst maximising renewable energy opportunities from new
or existing waste development”, the plan stated.
The plan is designed to meet national recycling targets for household waste of 65 per cent and “to reduce the amount of waste having to be disposed to landfill to the absolute minimum”.
An informal consultation has already been carried out with comments from a total of 283 representations from 39 respondents.
“Overall, there was support for this chapter of the waste local plan with
comments largely relating to wider issues, in particular relating to increasing
recycling rates”, council papers said.
“It is currently anticipated that the plan will be adopted in Autumn 2024.”
Before the final plan is approved it must be submitted to the Secretary of State.
The plan will aim to ensure that there are a sufficient number of recycling sites to meet future demand.
But it adds that the councils also “seek to ensure that future applications for waste processing and recycling are considered against strong and carefully”.
Cllr Neil Clarke (Con) said during the meeting that the draft plan was a “very important document”.
He said: “It is here to look at the future demand for recycling.
“The last strategy was adopted in 2013 and it needs updating. It is also to assist us in helping to achieve household recycling targets.
“To go out to consultation in the near future with then us being able to adopt it and come back for final adoption at some stage.”
The draft plan states: “Today, waste is no longer something which is buried in the ground. It is a resource to be re-used, recycled and then recovered.
“The need to address climate change means we need to re-use and repair more and put an end to single use plastics. Increasingly waste is seen as a resource within a “circular” economy with re-use and recovery at its heart.”
Council documents added: “The overall aim of the plan is to ensure that a sufficient range of sites are provided to meet expected future demand for recycling and waste management in the most sustainable way by
supporting greater levels of re-use and recycling of material, seeking to minimise landfill and to safeguard existing waste management sites from being unnecessarily lost or impacted by other development.
“Waste processing and recycling is an economic sector which helps avoid having to dispose of waste to landfill. Most former quarries in Nottinghamshire which historically accepted landfill waste are now full.”