Time to reduce waste across Bristol

The Council looks set to introduce a new waste contract that will reduce waste across the city at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 3rd November. 

At the meeting, Green Assistant Mayor, Daniella Radice will be introducing the report to procure a new waste treatment contract for Bristol that will for the first time incentivise waste reduction. Councillor Radice said:

“This is the first time that a contract will incentivise the Council to reduce the amount of waste it sends for treatment and disposal. The Council will now notify the contractors of the amount of waste to be disposed of a year at a time. This will incentivise ongoing waste reduction as every tonne diverted from landfill will save money for the city.”

“It is essential that we push waste reduction to the top of the agenda. This contract will reflect the importance of re-use, repair and recycling, by rewarding those who can divert materials from treatment processes.”

This new contract follows the recent formation of the Bristol Waste Company, which brought household waste services under council control. Councillor Martin Fodor¹, who leads on scrutiny of these services for the Green Group of Councillors said:

“We now have our own company that for the first time can collect commercial food waste if we wish to offer such services. I would like to see the council offering a service to collect food waste from smaller local traders across the city.  Commercial collection of food waste could be a real benefit to local traders and smaller businesses who have often been unable to get suitable services to deal with unavoidable food waste.”

Cllr Fodor, who has worked with many local traders in the past to develop practical food waste collection that meets traders’ needs and ensures the waste is turned into soil conditioner and energy locally, continued: 

“This week’s launch of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘war on waste’² is the latest in a growing movement to change the way we think about waste. Green Councillors will continue to build on the good work started, to improve our relationship with resources and our approach to waste across Bristol.” 

Notes

1. Martin Fodor has worked with the Stokes croft Traders group and others to develop a traders’ food waste and recycling system to collect unavoidable food waste from cafes and restaurants, supported by Bristol Green Capital Partnership and the Bristol Local Food network.
2. Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s BBC programme ‘war on waste’ starts on Mon 2nd November 2015:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nzl76