Investment proposed to improve waste and recycling service

Cabinet members will be asked to approve £1.8m investment into our waste and recycling service to make sure the service can be delivered reliably and safely over the long term.

The investment will support the recruitment of extra teams to reduce the number of incomplete collection rounds and missed bins, making sure residents can expect their bins to be emptied on their scheduled day.

There was significant disruption to waste and recycling collections in the first few months of this year, kick-started by a week of poor weather. Catching up took much longer than we had hoped due to changes in the service as part of our Be Safe, Work Safe, Target Zero initiative. This was prompted by coroner’s recommendations following the death of a waste operative in another part of the country.

Waste management is one of the most dangerous industries in the UK. Our waste crews use machinery which can be dangerous if strict safety training and protocols are not followed, and they must navigate large vehicles around often narrow streets. In Barnsley our waste vehicles have been involved in more than 70 collisions over the last three years.

The programme aims to improve safety and reduce waste collection vehicle collisions across Barnsley to a target of zero, and keep our staff and the public safe.  

We did manage to fully catch up on missed collections by April through additional agency crews, and by delaying the spring re-start of green bin collections. However a longer-term solution is now needed.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve investment to support, rebalance and build resilience into the service so that rounds can be completed at the end of each day. This will include six additional crews working each week to make sure rounds can be completed.

As part of wider investment in the service there are also proposals to issue free replacement brown and blue wheelie bins to residents to help increase recycling rates. This will help increase recycling rates and also the income the council receives from recycling, including financial incentives from the government. It will also help residents save money when they need to replace their brown or blue bins, or upgrade them to the larger size bins.

We’re also investing in technology installed in our waste vehicles which will further help to make sure collections are completed on the right day, and that any issues can be resolved quickly. It will give real-time data and insights, making it easier for crews to identify missed collections and record any issues with bins including access problems and road blockages.

Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Transport, said: “We know it’s frustrating for residents when their bin collections are disrupted, and this proposed investment recognises that we can’t return to the level of disruption we saw earlier this year.

“We also need to remain absolutely focused and committed to health and safety. It’s absolutely heart breaking that elsewhere in the country people have lost their lives working in waste and recycling. We won't be complacent or risk the welfare of our employees or the public.

“I’m delighted to support this investment which will help make sure our staff remain safe at work while also making sure residents receive the waste collection service they expect and deserve.”

You can find out more about our Be Safe, Work Safe, Target Zero programme at www.barnsley.gov.uk/TargetZero