Eastern Surrey Waste Strategy Action Plan
This section provides information on the Eastern Surrey Waste Strategy action plan.
The plan was adopted in 2003 and many of the initiatives are already underway.Action Plan
Central to the strategy is an Action Plan which sets out the actions we hope will encourage waste reduction and recycling, reduces the reliance on landfill and other harmful methods of disposal.
The Action Plan looks at what facilities can be provided locally, and what the Councils can do to promote the various ways in which we can all manage waste better.
Minimisation
The Councils believe that many domestic goods are over-packaged, and we are lobbying the government to make companies more responsible for minimising their packaging. However, consumers can also help reduce the amount of waste entering the waste steam by their own actions.
The Action Plan includes measures to encourage residents to change their purchasing habits and consider home composting.
New MRF Facilities
East Surrey already has a good reputation for waste management. In order to improve that still further we will need what is known as a Materials Recovery & Recycling Facility, or a MRF for short.
The presence of a MRF would allow us to collect a wide range of materials, which would in turn improve recycling rates.
The Action Plan pledges to secure a MRF for use by the Councils, and to investigate shared use in and outside the area.
New Composting Facilities
We envisage that the amount of green waste composted locally could triple in ten years, between 2005/6 and 2014/15, from 7,825 tonnes to 22,667 if we are to meet our targets.
Under the Action Plan the Councils plan to secure a composting facility in each district, promote the benefits of composting, and look at sharing facilities in and outside the local area.
Residual Waste
Despite all our best efforts, there will be an amount of residual waste which will require final disposal. This is the responsibility of Surrey County Council as the waste disposal authority.
The Districts wish to continue to use local landfill sites in the short and medium term. The Strategy acknowledges, however, that landfill is not the ideal solution and promises that the Councils will support the provision of local facilities for the disposal of residual waste which are operationally proven and environmentally sound in the long term.
Household Collections
Various initiatives to help residents recycle through door-to-door collections are already underway locally and nationally.
Under the terms of the Action Plan the Councils will try new and better ways to help residents and businesses recycle, and keep a close eye on successful methods adopted elsewhere in the country. The Councils will also seek to work with Surrey County Council to review Civic Amenity sites and maximise re-use and recycling opportunities
Recycling Banks
The districts already have a considerable number of recycling banks - Mole Valley has 27, Reigate and Banstead over 30 and Tandridge 113.
The Action Plan aims to investigate ways of making them more productive, as well as reviewing the need for additional banks in the future.
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