Paper caddy could be binned by council Plans for simpler recycling service
THE PAPER caddy could be dumped from bin collections as part of key changes to refuse and recycling services in the borough.
An independent study recommends the council introduce a fully co-mingled recycling operation, organised in-house.
The report, which has been backed by scrutiny commission councillors, says insourcing will improve service quality and customer satisfaction and increase flexibility, adaptability and control.
Currently recycling is delivered by an external partner with the contract due to end next March.
This milestone provided the impetus for a survey of waste services as a whole, with consultants, Amec Foster Wheeler (AFW), asked to consider existing arrangements and explore alternative strategies.
Factors such as an anticipated surge in the number of households - more than 9,000 new homes are anticipated over the next decade - and loss of recycling credit payments to the tune of around £830,000 also fed into the need for an audit.
In analysing the overall service AFW concluded the residual waste - everyday household rubbish - and garden waste services, both run by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, were well managed and value for money.
Sickness absence levels were found to be low and customer satisfaction solid, despite relatively high levels of missed residual collections - in 2015/16 on average, 40 collections per 100,000 scheduled collections were missed compared to top quartile performance of 25.
The report suggests: “It is considered that insourcing the recycling service would benefit and enhance further value for money and operational efficiency - for example, providing fleet and staff flexibility and economies of scale.
“Delivering the three services - residual, garden and recycling - from one department will improve management, supervisory and operational efficiency further and aligning the three services make any future service model application more attractive and cost effective.”
Refuse collection was outsourced in 1989 and brought back in house in 2003 following excessive complaints and concerns about the condition of the fleet and reports of low staff morale.
The dry recycling service was outsourced in 2003 and is currently run by Palm Recycling, sub-contracted to Wards.
As well as recommending recycling be brought under council control, AFW also suggest doing away with the separate paper and cardboard caddy and just providing one bin for all types of recycling.
AFW say this will be a simpler service for residents and would reduce costs by around £100,000 a year with no adverse impact on recycling performance and opportunities to share fleet vehicles.
Recycling banks would also be moved to a fully co-mingled collection strategy.
The recommendations will be further considered by full council before any changes are made.