Plan to hit 65 per cent household waste recycling target across Nottinghamshire will go to consultation

Nottinghamshire and Nottingham councils have put together a draft Waste Local Plan, which is now going to a full consultation.

The current ‘Waste Core Strategy’ was adopted in 2013 and is now “out of date”, the councils said. The new plan will look ahead to 2038.

Nottingham Council approved the paper at its latest executive board meeting, following by members of Nottinghamshire Council’s cabinet.

The plan is underpinned by two concepts; the circular economy and waste hierarchy.

The circular economy is about keeping resources in use for as long as possible and then recovering and regenerating products at the end of their life.

The waste hierarchy is about preventing waste in the first place and prioritising reuse and recycling before disposal, which should be a “last resort”.

The plan says: “We will promote waste management facilities’ adaptability to climate change and secure energy efficiency and sustainable building techniques while maximising renewable energy opportunities from newor existing waste development.”

The plan is designed to meet national recycling targets for household waste of 65 per cent and “reduce the amount of waste having to be disposed to landfill to the absolute minimum”.

An informal consultation has already been carried out with comments from a total of 283 representations.

Council papers say: “Overall, there was support for this chapter of the plan with comments largely relating to wider issues, in particular increasing recycling rates. It is currently anticipated the plan will be adopted in autumn 2024.”

The plan will aim to ensure there are a sufficient number of recycling sites to meet future demand, but adds councils will “seek to ensure future applications for waste processing and recycling are considered against strong and carefully”.

Coun Neil Clarke told the county council meeting the draft plan was a “very important document”.

He said: “It is here to look at the future demand for recycling. The last strategy was adopted in 2013 and it needs updating. It is also to assist us in helping to achieve household recycling targets.

“To go out to consultation in the near future with then us being able to adopt it and come back for final adoption at some stage.”

The draft plan states: “Wwaste is no longer something which is buried in the ground. It is a resource to be re-used, recycled and then recovered.

“The need to address climate change means we need to re-use and repair more and put an end to single-use plastics. Increasingly waste is seen as a resource within a ‘circular’ economy with re-use and recovery at its heart.”

Council documents added: “The overall aim of the plan is to ensure a sufficient range of sites are provided to meet expected future demand for recycling and waste management in the most sustainable way bysupporting greater levels of re-use and recycling of material, seeking to minimise landfill and to safeguard existing waste management sites from being unnecessarily lost or impacted by other development.

“Waste processing and recycling is an economic sector which helps avoid having to dispose of waste to landfill. Most former quarries in Nottinghamshire which historically accepted landfill waste are now full.”