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Dear Parish,
Re: Provision of Bring Bank sites in East Cambridgeshire
With the support from residents circa 56% of household waste in East Cambridgeshire is being recycled. This is a significant success and the Council appreciates the commitment and support of residents to attaining this high level of recycling. This has been largely achieved following the introduction of the kerbside blue bin service for recyclates but there has also been a resultant and significant decline in the level of recyclates being collected in bring banks, with a fall in annual tonnage collected from 747 tonnes in 2013/14 to 217 tonnes in 2016/17 (70.1% reduction).
This has occurred at time when the market for recycled materials has experienced a significant downturn in respect to the income that is obtained from the sale of recyclates once they have been processed ready for re-use. The impact locally is that the costs for the Council to have recyclates processed has gone up. The Council has also been advised by two of the three contractors that provided the bring bank site service that they do not wish to renew their contracts (the glass and paper processing companies) because they cannot make a profit from providing the service.
In this context it is important that the Council reviews all recycling activities to ensure they are delivering high levels of recyclates against the costs of providing the services. For example, to simply continue with the current bring bank service that is now realising significantly less recyclates, is based on soft market testing likely to cost the Council a further £20,000 per annum which is new money for the Council to have to find when budgets are already stretched.
Therefore, the Council has committed to consult on the future of bring banks site with residents and all interested parties based on the following future options for the service. In all options the textile recycling banks would be retained because textile recycling is not part of the kerbside collection service for recyclates:
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Option One: To remove all bring bank sites except for textile banks to avoid additional costs to the Council resulting from the downturn in the market for recyclates.
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Option Two: To retain a reduced number of bring bank sites at the higher performing locations for recyclates, the sites being Tesco, Ely; Waitrose, Ely; Main Street, Littleport; Fountain Lane, Soham; High Street, Chippenham & High Street, Cheveley.
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Option Three: To retain all the bring bank sites, accepting the low levels of recyclates being collected and that new funding will be required to sustain the sites.
A simple survey is available on the Council’s website for you to confirm your preferred option (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HMMMVQN) or you email myself (Darren Hughes) at Darren.Hughes@eastcambs.gov.uk or phone 01353 665555
Thank you again for your efforts to support recycling in East Cambridgeshire and it is planned, following the completion of this consultation on 30 June 2018 to make final decision on the future of the bring bank sites in July or August of this year.
Yours faithfully,
Darren
Darren Hughes
Client Officer (Waste)
East Cambridgeshire District Council