The Communications Officer for SLWP introduced the item.  This is the fifth survey since 2010, conducted by DJS Research, 1007 telephone interviews conducted between August and September 2022, the interviewees are not random, but represent a cross-section of the borough by age, gender and working status.  An additional 370 surveys were conducted within the locality of the Beddington Farmlands site to see if views differed to those further away from the site.

Although there are some dips in positive results across the survey, but the overall result is positive,  

16-34 age group are the least likely to engage with recycling, there are a variety of reasons to explain this, and is consistent with other findings.  The tonnage of waste has again lowered after the 20/21 ‘Covid blip’ when people spent more time at home. 

Around a third of participants are not sure that their efforts are worthwhile, and work needs to be done to reassure that individual efforts do make a difference, and that the items they put into recycling are indeed, recycled.  The awareness of the rate of recycling tallies with how much recycling actually takes place.  Satisfaction with tips remains high.  A third of respondents are uncertain about what ought to be done with unrecyclable waste, the next most common response, a quarter, suggested energy use. Satisfaction with waste collection has remained stable, compared with 2019, though satisfaction with cleanliness of streets has reduced.

Speakers from Sutton Council raised the following concerns about the survey and the ERF:

-       The incinerator impacts on recycling, particularly close to incinerators

-       No mention in the survey of mechanical/biological treatment, plastics ought to be buried rather than burnt to reduce CO2 releases into atmosphere

-       The borough with highest levels of recycling, Kingston, is furthest from incinerator

-       Residents belief that future recycling levels could reach 76% demonstrates that they don’t understand recycling

-       No acknowledgement that the emissions from the ERF breach guidelines, on average on a monthly basis, some 40 times since opening

-       Information on breaches is not readily available to residents

-       This gives a false perception that the facility is clean

-       Every day the incinerator adds pollutants to the London atmosphere

-       Monitoring is not taken place around the homes schools and gardens of local residents

In response, officers highlighted that data on emissions from the ERF are published fortnightly. Samples are taken from the stacks every 10 seconds.  Monitoring points around the borough would be an issue for Sutton Council rather than the SWLP.  The Environment Agency determine which emissions are monitored.  The Beddington plant is a leader nationally in the extent of the data shared with the public.

There are a number of factors that impact recycling rates, officers can research correlation between proximity to ERFs and recycling rates, though this tends to be more greatly influenced by the type of housing than the proximity to the ERF.

In response to questions from Councillors, officers confirmed that a breach of the emission limits Environmental Agency does not necessarily have a significant negative impact on the environment.  Each breach is investigated and Viridor receive a compliance score, and depending on the score impacts the money that Viridor pay to the EA. 

Officers informed the committee that the ERF was built as part of a shift away from landfill, mainly because of the methane released from landfill.  The Beddington site was approaching capacity prior to a tender for a new solution.  The ERF is very well regulated by the EA, it is cost effective and our waste tonnages have reduced and recycling has gone up since we reduced reliance on landfill.  The carbon reduction is significant.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee noted the contents fo the report.