THE CONNECTED CITY
A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY FOR BRIGHTON & HOVE

What has happened over the last three years

The Domestic Waste Management Strategy was reviewed in 2012

Communal refuse bins have been introduced in the central parts of the city

Communal recycling has been trialled for 3,200 households with a 70% increase in recycling weight collected and improved levels of satisfaction with the service.  Following the trial, grant funding has been secured and following a positive response to the consultation the scheme is being rolled out to 32,000 properties in the central parts of the city which is expected to increase recycling rates by up to 3%.

30 community composting schemes have been set up across the city, predominantly in more densely populated areas

40 recycling bring sites have been refurbished and the program is on-going

Continued collaboration with Food Partnership has encourage people to waste less food and compost food waste.

Brighton Paper Round is now operating a food waste collection service with 70 businesses signed up so far and collecting 20 tonnes per month.

Nearly 20,000 compost bins have been sold since 2005 which has helped divert over 2000 tonnes of garden and food waste from the waste stream.

Nearly 700 households are using community composting sites helping to divert over 4 double decker buses worth of food waste from the waste steam.

The materials recovered at the HWRS have been increased to include MDF and non-glued wood, plasterboard and energy light bulbs

A supplementary planning document on construction and demolition waste helps deliver more sustainable management of that waste stream and to minimise the amount of construction waste sent to landfill.

A Waste and Minerals Plan, produced in partnership with East Sussex County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority has been adopted. This includes stringent targets for increasing recycling and recovery of all waste streams (Local Authority Collected Waste, Commercial and Industrial Waste, and Construction, Demolition & Excavation Waste). It is understood to be the first strategic waste plan in the country not to make any provision for further landfill development.

The three authorities have begun work on a Waste & Minerals Sites Plan which will allocate sites for the new recycling and recovery facilities which will provide the capacity required to achieve the targets.

Comprehensive waste infrastructure to divert waste from landfill including a Materials Recovery Facility (Hollingdean); an ‘In-Vessel’ composting facility and an Energy Recovery Facility (Newhaven) has been completed and is now fully operational.

Work is continuing with the SE7 group of authorities to explore how partnership working can improve waste management practices in the region and reduce costs.