Cabinet to consider move towards zero waste

LIVERPOOL City Council's Cabinet is set to consider a new Zero Waste Strategy, which will look to rid the City Region of all unnecessary waste by 2040.

The strategy, co-created by all Councils in the Liverpool City Region and the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA), is an important step towards the Council's plans to significantly reduce carbon emissions from waste collection and disposal in the next 15 years.

If agreed at next week's Cabinet Meeting, the strategy will work alongside the Council's Recycling and Waste Strategy, which was adopted earlier this year.

Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council said:- "Liverpool City Council remains fully committed to achieving net zero, and the new Zero Waste Strategy will be a crucial step towards that goal. By working in partnership with our City Region colleagues, we can create meaningful change that benefits everyone, but we can't do this alone. Only by working together serving residents and businesses can we fully address the climate crisis and create a sustainable future. Not only will this strategy help us to do our bit to protect the planet, but it will also save residents money. If we repair and reuse more often than throwing away, there'll be less need to buy new items and we can move towards eliminating single-use materials. Together we can create a greener, more sustainable Liverpool for future generations."

Currently, waste collection and processing in Liverpool creates 51,751 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent of 9,200 car journeys circumnavigating the globe.

Both the newly proposed strategy and existing waste strategy share targets to reduce purple bin waste by 50 % by 2040 and achieve a recycling rate of 65 %, up from the current rate of 17.9 %, in the next 10 years.

The Zero Waste Strategy, if agreed, could reduce carbon emissions emitted by waste collection and processing across the Region by 80%

To help reach these goals, the strategy adopts 3 main themes of:- 'People, Planet, and Economy.' Together, the City Region partnership would focus on awareness and education, promoting positive behaviours in buying habits to prevent waste from being created in the 1st place.

This includes:- meal planning to prevent excess food, reusing and repairing items rather than throwing them away, and buying second hand.

The strategy explains that the best way to remove carbon emissions from waste is by creating a circular economy. This means encouraging businesses and manufacturers to reduce waste created during the production process, while making materials that can be used again and again.

If items do need to be thrown away, they should be recycled so that the raw materials can be used to manufacture new products.

1 major step towards a circular economy is the introduction of a food waste collection, which all local authorities across the country must introduce by the end of March 2025.

Households across Liverpool will have a new, weekly food waste collection, which will see unused food taken away to be broken down and repurposed.

The Council is committed to reducing the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. In 2019, it declared a climate emergency, followed by an action plan to reach net zero across all Council operations by 2030.

1 of the key aims outlined in the plan is to tackle the carbon footprint created through waste collection and processing. Both strategies outline clear steps needed in Liverpool to reach this goal.

Work has already started to meet these goals, with the introduction of solar bins and underground refuse bins across the City, as well as optimising collection routes. Together, these changes have reduced the frequency of collections and to the number of emissions released while doing so.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Communities and Streetscene said:- "Our Recycling and Waste Strategy already sets out an action plan to reduce the amount of rubbish across the City and this new Zero Waste Strategy is further confirmation that these steps are vital. While the waste that doesn't get recycled in Liverpool is incinerated to make energy which goes back into the system, this still releases harmful gases into the environment. The only way to combat this is to reduce the amount of rubbish that we produce and increase the amount sent to be recycled. We're already tackling the amount of waste both on our streets and in our homes and making our waste collection as sustainable as possible. Our successful solar bin pilot and eco-friendly waste wagons are both working towards reducing the number of emissions in collecting our waste. In the near future we'll be introducing food waste collections and increasing the number of materials households can recycle too, but there's still more that we can do together. We have a collective responsibility to make sure the actions we take now has a positive impact for our planet in the future."

The Council has also worked with residents to promote positive waste behaviours, including:- the introduction of a new environmental enforcement team to tackle fly tipping and Keep Liverpool Tidy, which has seen a big increase in community litter picking since it started in 2022.

Further support is available for residents looking to reduce their waste on:- ZeroWasteLCR.Com, including:- an interactive map featuring charity shops, refill shops, and repair and reuse organisations.

Alleyway Strategic Action Plan to clean up Sefton

ONE Vision Housing, part of The Sovini Group, launched its:- 'Alleyway Strategic Action Plan' with a major clean up event in Bootle.

The newly launched action plan aimed at combating fly tipping and improving the quality of life for those living in our communities is backed by Sefton Council.

The event witnessed 1 Vision Housing colleagues join local Councillors, MPs, a Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene and Group partner Sovini Property Services in a community clean up, supported by generous skip donations from Sovini Waste Solutions.

In a collaborative effort, the partnership actively engages with local residents to gather their perspective on the community.

Ian Mitchell, Managing Director for Housing at 1 Vision Housing said:- "fly tipping negatively impacts our customers and communities, and we are committed to taking action in collaboration with Sefton Council. Our strong partnerships are vital in keeping our communities clean and safe. It was great to be part of a collaborative clean up in Bootle, the 1st of many across Sefton."

Susan Levey, Property Clearance Operative at Sovini Property Services added:- "Being part of these alleyway clean-ups is about taking pride in our communities and ensuring everyone has a clean and safe environment to live in. fly tipping has a detrimental effect on the safety and appearance of our neighbourhoods, and it's important that we work together to tackle it. I get a real sense of satisfaction knowing that the work we do makes a tangible difference to people's lives and helps to create communities where residents feel happy and secure."

The Alleyway Strategic Action Plan reflects the organisation's commitment to creating thriving communities and ensuring the wellbeing of its customers and local residents.

The partnership aims to engage, educate, and enforce whilst implementing enhanced surveillance to monitor and deter fly-tipping, and take legal action against those responsible.

To find out more visit:- OCH.Org.UK.