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Councillors and committees

Agenda item

Contracts Update

Report of Tony Alder, Project Director, South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership

Minutes:

The Committee received a report on the current position regarding the Residual Waste Treatment Contract and other ancillary waste joint contracts and activities managed by the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership (STWWMP).

 

The joint partnership team continues to review and verify monthly reports received from SUEZ, which details materials processed and service issues. Once approved, invoices are processed and apportioned to the partner authorities within contractual timescales.

 

The Committee were advised that the recent Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) sampling results identified a number of occasions where limits (predominantly copper and lead) had been exceeded.  Although a number of the reported exceedances were subsequently discounted, a stronger emphasis has been placed on accurate IBA sampling in future.

 

The Committee noted that volatile organic compound and carbon monoxide breaches resulted in the Environment Agency (EA) issuing compliance classification scheme (CCS) scores, which are recorded against the operator’s compliance record. It was noted that the EA were satisfied with the action taken, which was reflected in the low CCS scores.

 

Other service issues highlighted including a lightning strike which resulted in a power blackout affecting the entire plant. Also, further details were provided to committee on procedures introduced to help prevent bulky items that may have been collected during service operations from being transported to the EfW which could result in bottom ash chutes blockages and plant downtime.

 

Appendix A provides the latest performance on the residual waste treatment contract for April – July 2018 with the Committee noting that contractual targets continue to be exceeded.

 

The Committee were informed that discussions on the joint insurance cost review are ongoing.

 

An update was provided on the community education and engagement programme noting specific detail of recent events. These have included a tour of the EfW facility by year 5 pupils, whole school waste awareness assemblies and the ongoing projects with Cedars and Portland Academies and Fell Dyke Primary School.

 

Plans are also progressing with intu Metrocentre for the partnership to deliver a recycling event as part of the national Recycle Week which takes place 24 – 30 September. Since the report was written its now been confirmed that groundwork will be present on Wednesday 26 September 2018 3 pm – 9 pm.

 

The Committee also received service updates on the MRF contracts with the latest performance results appended to the main report, highlighting the blue bin tonnage data and recycling and recovery performance between April – July 2018. Committee noted that the overall recycling tonnages in each partner authority continue to fluctuate, but paper tonnages collected separately in the inner caddy have fallen again compared to the same period last year. The paper tonnages continue to reduce year on year as previously highlighted. Sunderland City Council continue to identify actions to help increase their recycling rates at the materials recovery facility.

 

The Committee also noted that a recycling trial will take place in early 2019 in Gateshead and South Tyneside which will involve the collection of paper and card together in an additional wheeled bin, which will replace the inner caddy at those households on the trial. The partnership team and council officers are working closely with the contractor (Palm Recycling) to finalise the details of the trial, and although it will take place in Gateshead and South Tyneside, the results will benefit all three partner authorities and will be used when evaluating future service delivery models.

 

Committee also received details of the household waste and recycling centre contracts with the latest performance for 2018/19 appended to the main report at Appendix C.

 

The Committee also received further details on the green waste composting contracts. The partnership are also currently considering options available for contract extension periods.

 

RESOLVED -

i)

That the information be noted

 

ii)

Councillors requested that they be included in the communication plan for the roll out of the recycling trial in early 2019 in Gateshead and South Tyneside involving the collection of paper and card together.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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