Making ends meet: Maximising the value of waste

24 Feb 2011

Making ends meet: Maximising the value of waste this brief from the CBI identifies the main challenges to achieving a 'zero-waste economy' and offers recommendations to deliver on the zero-waste objective.

Leicestershire Waste Partnership: Baseline Waste Prevention Research

24 Feb 2011

Preface

Leicestershire Waste Partnership (LWP) has established a high and well deserved national reputation for developing a strong evidence base to support its waste management strategy, and M·E·L Research has been a steady and committed business partner in this effort over several years. Now LWP is embarking on a strategically important new avenue of research, into waste prevention. This takes forward one of the key themes of the Municipal Waste Management Strategy to:
Manage materials in accordance with Waste management Hierarchy – In order of preference, prevention, re-use, recycle/compost, recovery, disposal- except where costs are prohibitive, or where the environmental consequences can be demonstrated to be negative Waste prevention will play its part in delivering LATS (Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme) compliance for Leicestershire in as timely a manner as possible. This will involve the use of several interventions in the short, medium and long timescales. This report establishes a baseline position of current attitudes, behaviour, motivations and barriers among the residents of Leicestershire towards waste prevention activities and campaigns delivered by the Waste Prevention & Reuse Project.

£13.5m Regional Savings through empa

17 Feb 2011

"The economic outlook remains turbulent with local authorities planning significant service changes in response to reduced government grant funding over the next 4 years. Local authorities will need to do considerably more with shrinking resources; taking difficult decisions in order to make vital efficiency savings. In such challenging times, we can't just wait and see what happens; we must act now to improve and strengthen public services, collaborate and work better in partnership with other providers.

The empa collaborative construction programme, supported by the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency partnership, (EM IEP) is making a real difference for local communities by enabling the procurement of high quality public buildings in partnership with experienced contractors, resulting in significant efficiency savings, value for money for the taxpayer and active engagement of the
substantial skills of local businesses.

The EM IEP is proud to have been involved with the creation of the empa between 2006/08 and providing continued support for the development of a range of property frameworks and other products. It is anticipated that this relationship should continue post March 2011, when the EM IEP becomes part of the East Midlands Councils (EMC) organisation, the representative body for local authorities in the East Midlands.

I commend this business plan to all local authorities in the East Midlands, those who are active members of empa and for those who are about to dip their toes for the first time in the partnership work surrounding collaborative framework arrangements with a range of high calibre construction companies."

empa Headlines

- £13.5 million saved by East Midland's public authorities
- Big improvements in delivering projects to time and to cost
- Defects minimised or removed altogether
- Excellent Health & Safety record on projects
- Local expenditure maximised
- Training in progress for local apprentices, clients and small companies (SMEs)


empa Business Case 2011
Foreword by Chris Allison, Director, East Midlands
Regional Improvement & Efficiency Partnership


To find out more, read the empa Business Case 2011 at:
http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/uploads/Publications/Construction/empaBusCaseFeb2011.pdf

EMPA Business Case 2011

17 Feb 2011

The economic outlook remains turbulent with local authorities planning significant service changes in response to reduced government grant funding over the next 4 years. Local authorities will need to do considerably more with shrinking resources; taking difficult decisions in order to make vital efficiency savings. In such challenging times, we can't just wait and see what happens; we must act now to improve and strengthen public services, collaborate and work better in partnership with other providers.

The empa collaborative construction programme, supported by the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency partnership, (EM IEP) is making a real difference for local communities by enabling the procurement of high quality public buildings in partnership with experienced contractors, resulting in significant efficiency savings, value for money for the taxpayer and active engagement of the
substantial skills of local businesses.

Latest EMPA Films Launched

16 Feb 2011

The East Midlands Property Alliance (empa) is one our flagship projects saving authorities in the region millions of pounds in the area of construction.

empa is promoting construction excellence through collaboration and framework agreements for the procurement of design and build for large/medium schemes, minor works and property maintenance. There are now 38 local authorities and one Police Authority in the region who are members of empa. Over a five year construction programme of £600m, empa has already delivered cashable savings of £7.4m and predicted £34m in total.

We have launched three films demonstrating how the range of frameworks empa has are saving authorities time, money and hitting targets to employ local labour to boost the economy.

The films are as follows:

(1) Supporting Local SMEs, Leicestershire

(2) Red Lion Quarter, Lincolnshire

(3) Nottingham City Council Contact Centre

Household Waste Collection: LARAC survey

09 Feb 2011

Local Government Association Analysis and Research are conducting research on behalf of the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC) to establish a strong evidence base that provides information on the cost, performance and satisfaction with household waste collection schemes employed by councils. This will be crucial in defending councils' right to choose waste collection arrangements that suit their local area.

All Waste Authorities are encouraged to fill in the survey to ensure that the evidence base is as robust as possible. The survey closes on Friday 11 February 2011. A full response will enable LARAC to demonstrate that communities are happy with AWC and that this can also lead to improved performance and reduced costs.

If you are unsure if your authority has received the link to the survey, or you require any additional information about filling in the survey, please contact Liz Spratt: liz.spratt@local.gov.uk

Local Authority Collected Waste – Definition Of Terms

09 Feb 2011

This note sets out the background to the change in terminology and definition of ‘municipal waste' reporting in policy and statistical terms.

Previously the term ‘Municipal Waste' as used in the UK was used in waste policies and nationally reported data to refer to waste collected by local authorities. In fact the definition of municipal waste as described in the Landfill Directive includes both household waste and that from other sources which is similar in nature and composition, which will include a significant proportion of waste generated by businesses and not collected by Local Authorities. In 2010, negotiations with the EU Commission and consultation with the waste community redefined national targets and the effects of this change in relation to the EU Landfill Directive targets. The review of waste policies will clarify any consequences for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.

To remove ambiguity, future references to ‘municipal waste' will refer to the new definition. Therefore there is a need to define a new term to describe the data collected by WasteDataFlow. The agreed terminology arises from Defra's response to the 2010 consultation on meeting the EU Landfill Diversion Targets in England.

LACMW refers to the previous ‘municipal' element of the waste collected by local authorities. That is household waste and business waste where collected by the local authority and which is similar in nature and composition as required by the Landfill Directive. This is the definition that will be used for LATS allowances.

All waste collected by the local authority. This is a slightly broader concept than LACMW as it would include both this and non municipal fractions such as construction and demolition waste. LACW is the definition that will be used in statistical publications, which previously referred to municipal waste.

WasteDataFlow Statistics

Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW)

Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste (LACMW)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR

Public enquiries (phone): 08459 335577

Local Authority Collected Waste - Definition Of Terms February 2011

Plan to make rubbish vanish!

09 Feb 2011

Imagine a waste and recycling collection system that requires few vehicle movements, no containers, boxes, bins or sacks and no physical contact with waste after it has been deposited. A system that is accessible to residents 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year and is completely automated, requiring virtually no input from collection staff. Can you imagine a Streetscene that remains free of litter, recycling boxes, unsightly bins and obstructions? You may be surprised to hear that this is not the stuff of local authority waste and recycling officers' dreams, but is very much a reality, and is already in successful operation in one of London's most recent large scale residential and commercial developments - Wembley City. 

WIN's latest case study explains more about this efficient vacuum technology that moves waste underground at speeds of 70mph and details how it has reduced Brent's collection costs by one third.

MHA Annual Report 2009-10

08 Feb 2011

The MHA comprises 13 local authorities and the Highways Agency. So far, savings of £16.75 million have been identified for MHA members by 2013. This will be a staggering 6720% return on investment on the original £227,000 East Midlands Improvement & Efficiency Partnership's pump-prime funding.

£16.75m Savings for Midlands Highway Alliance

08 Feb 2011

The Midlands Highway Alliance, one of EM IEP's flagship collaborative working projects, has announced savings of £16.75 million in it's recently published annual report.

During 2009/10, the Midlands Highway Alliance (MHA) continued to make ground-breaking progress in the procurement and delivery of highways maintenance, professional services and capital works across the greater Midlands region.

The MHA now comprises 13 local authorities and the Highways Agency. So far, savings of £16.75 million have been identified for MHA members by 2013. This will be a staggering 6720% return on investment on the original £227,000 East Midlands Improvement Partnership's pump-prime funding.

The medium schemes frameworks (MWF3, MWF4 and MSF1) collectively continue to be the largest contributors to the return on investment and efficiency total. Members that use these frameworks avoid individual scheme procurement costs and therefore can benefit from savings of up to £100,000 per scheme.

Find out more in the Midlands Highway Alliance Annual Report 2009-10 available at:
http://www.eastmidlandsiep.gov.uk/uploads/Publications/Construction/J1090_MHAAnnReport%20web85.pdf

Climate UK: An Adaptation Offer

08 Feb 2011

Support to local government from Climate UK, the national network of climate change partnerships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What is Climate UK?
Climate UK is the collective name for the climate change partnerships (CCPs) in the English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work collectively as a national network with the support of the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) and the Environment Agency and are part funded by Government via Defra and the devolved administrations.

Each partnership is different in terms of its organisation, resources and priorities but all have a common interest in helping public and private sector organisations to adapt to a changing climate.

Supporting local government on adaptation is a key shared priority for us now and in the future.

What is our offer to local government?
This leaflet describes in summary what kind of support you can get here and now from the CCPs in your own work on adaptation. You may be familiar with the CCP in your own area, but might find further valuable resources and even support from other CCPs too.
With the recent rapid changes in Government policy, the CCPs are increasingly collaborating and looking to share their resources more effectively across the country. And despite the demise of the regional agenda in England, the English CCPs are exploring new ways of working so that they can continue to provide a service to councils over the years ahead. You can access all of the CCP websites and online resources via our joint introductory webpage at: www.climateuk.net

Full details are available in the downloable flyer below:

Climate East Midlands Skills Programme 2011

08 Feb 2011

Climate East Midlands is a project sponsored by EM IEP, aiming to grow support for local authorities in the East Midlands.

This flyer describes in summary form what is included within the Climate East Midlands Skills Programme, a new source of support to local authorities coming on stream in early 2011. This builds upon a history of collaboration and shared achievement amongst the region's city, county and district councils since they all became signatories to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change - the first region to do so in 2007.

The programme has been developed in consultation with local authority officers and members and is being funded by £950k from CLG as part of a national programme with all English regions receiving a similar sum.

Climate East Midlands is one of a family of twelve Climate Change Partnerships in the English regions and the devolved administrations that are supported by central Government.

Support available includes:

1. Training for planners
2. Community Engagement
3. Support for Members (and Officers)
4. Collaborative implementation support
5. SCoRE (Schools Collaboration on Resource Efficiency)
6. Adaptation to Climate Change
7. Peer Review

Click on 'Download file' below for flyer containing full details.

Local Environmental Quality Case Studies - Coming Soon!

08 Feb 2011

By the end of February, we will be publishing two good practice Local Environmental Quality case studies examining why and how Broxtowe Borough Council and Blaby District Council are able to achieve high performance standards whilst keeping spend down, and illustrate how other authorities can adopt similar practice to reduce costs and improve performance.

The observational case studies will not only discuss operational processes, but also investigate both corporate, managerial and member procedures.

Please look on the EM IEP website to download these case studies at the end of February.

Films Featuring 'Waste' Good Practice Coming Soon!

08 Feb 2011

In late January the filming of two good practice case studies for Waste Collection and Local Environmental Quality took place. Daventry Borough Council's waste collection service and Rushcliffe Borough Council's Streetwise service kindly volunteered to be film stars for the day and both shoots went extremely well.

The Daventry District Council film focuses on the benefits of route optimisation and the implementation of the four day working week, with financial savings of £200K per annum and improving service delivery to residents.

Rushcliffe Borough Council's Steetwise service has combined a grounds maintenance, street cleansing and environmental health into the Neigbourhood Team as part of their Streetwise service, improving service delivery and making efficiencies.

Both films showcase success stories from the East Midlands region with both authorities featured able to realise efficiency savings, whilst improving service delivery. The films also highlight the importance of staff who feel valued for the work they do and residents who are satisfied with the services they receive.

The two short films will be available on the EM IEP TV section of our website in mid/late February and will highlight this transferable good practice.

East Midlands Climate Change Skills Programme – A changing climate for planners

08 Feb 2011

Four projects that are either being developed or have been commissioned are:

- The rollout of SW RIEP planners' toolkit
- Development of area-wide planning policy through decentralised energy projects
- Developing a transferable methodology to enable local authorities to develop their own supplementary planning guidance
- Planning support in communities

Complementing this programme is East Midlands Councils' low cost approach to CPD for local authority planners and other development professionals ‘Planning for Localism'.

Click the following link to the Climate East Midlands website to download the flyer:
http://www.climate-em.org.uk/news/item/clg-skills-fund-a-changing-climate-for-planners

For further infromation contact:

Anne Gayfer
Programme Manager
Tel: 07554 439 131
Email anne.gayfer@nottscc.gov.uk 

Power to the People of Derbyshire!

08 Feb 2011

Current Cost real-time energy monitors on loan from local libraries are helping householders in Derbyshire cut energy bills and community carbon dioxide emissions.

Hundreds of Derbyshire residents are saving money on their electricity bills by checking their energy use with a free monitors available from Derby City and Derbyshire County Council libraries.

Current cost monitors check how much electricity being used - instantly showing the cost of turning on a light, boiling a kettle or switching on the tumble dryer. A number of borrowers have tried to save energy prior to borrowing the real-time energy monitor - by switching to energy-saving light bulbs, for instance - but they were surprised by how much electricity was being used when things like irons and other appliances that generate heat were left on.

The monitors have been helping users save an average £60-£70, which equates to 10-15% of their electricity consumption a year by highlighting where energy is being wasted.

The monitors are easy to use and involve clipping a sensor to the cable on your electricity meter. This then transmits information on usage to a monitor screen in the home where it is easy to see.

Funding for the latest monitors comes from East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP).

With the libraries scheme now well-established, the council is planning to pilot a roll-out the loan model to small to medium businesses.

For more information on how you can save energy in your home go to: http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/home

JRIEP Newsletter 5

31 Jan 2011

Why use a framework agreement for procurement in waste services?

31 Jan 2011

Framework agreements: save money and avoid going out to tender, learn why you should be using framework agreements

National Home Composting Framework- Jan 2011

31 Jan 2011

Details of pricing for 2011/12 will be released shortly. We are anticipating a small increase to account for the rise in VAT and fuel costs. Further information will be available from WIN once announced in the next few weeks.

226 councils have signed up to the framework so far! That's 56% of all authorities. Together they have saved over £500,000 on procurement costs!

Over 49,000 composting units and accessories have been sold through the framework since February 2010!

Two new reports commissioned by Straight plc look at the future potential for home composting participation in England as well as cost-benefit analysis of Local Authority home composting support programmes

Click here for more information.

WIN case study: National Home Composting Framework Contract 2010

31 Jan 2011

IESE and WIN launched the National Home Composting Framework in February 2010 and this case study evaluates the progress and successes of the scheme in its first six months. Since August 2010, the framework has only increased in popularity, helping to deliver even more efficiency savings to local authorities.

Key benefits and savings to August 2010:

• £316,000 has been saved by councils through avoided procurement process costs*
• £125,000 has been saved by councils through saved subsidy costs**
• Economies of scale achieved prices up to 30% lower than previous WRAP scheme
• 221 councils have signed up to the framework (56% of English councils)
• 39,937 home composting units have been sold
• Over 900 tonnes of compostable waste have been diverted from residual waste collections and over 1,800 tonnes from green waste collections***
• Councils can chose from a range of commodities and have communications materials tailored to their requirements

To read more please click here