Suffolk's local authorities have today received official recognition for tackling the county's growing waste problem.Suffolk's waste authorities have jointly been awarded Beacon status by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM).
Beacon status is awarded by the ODPM to authorities who have shown evidence of excellence and innovation and a commitment to sharing their expertise with others.
The Suffolk application for the 'Waste and Recycling' Beacon status focused on county, district and borough councils working together to make real improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of waste services and real reductions in the amount of waste going to landfill.
District and borough councils collect rubbish from 281,155 homes across the county; the county council is responsible for disposing of this waste. By working together the eight authorities are reducing the amount of waste generated, recycling has increased andSuffolkis proud to be one of the top counties for recycling and composting. Indeed, St Edmundsbury is the top recycling authority in the country, with Forest Heath a close second.
Judges were impressed by the partnership's vision, which went beyond household waste, to include a much wider waste issues. The eight authorities have jointly developed a co-ordinated waste strategy, which has allowed Suffolk to beat recycling targets and help to secure substantial funding from Defra (the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs) to further improve services.
By pooling resources and the vast experience of individual councils,Suffolkhas significantly improved the diversion of waste from landfill to recycling and composting. Team working has also enabled theSuffolkcouncils to spearhead best practice in street cleansing and sustainable waste management and to achieve a countywide recycling rate of 39%.
Suffolk County Councillor, Eddy Alcock, portfolio holder for Environment, Waste and Economic Development said, "We have already seen many benefits from our joint working with the district and borough councils and I am delighted that this good practice has been officially recognised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister."
"We have a wealth of expertise among officers and councillors inSuffolkand the awarding of Beacon status toSuffolkreflects a high standard of achievement. But Beacon Status is not just about recognising achievement. It is also about helping to improve services everywhere and we look forward to spreading this good practice to other local authorities."
Looking to the future Councillor Alcock added, "The Government has introduced a scheme to financially penalise councils which landfill too much waste. So this partnership, which is raising our performance to excellent in this area, is truly in the interest of the local authorities and the council tax payer."
Cllr Jeremy Farthing, St Edmundsbury Borough Council Cabinet member for the Environment said: "We are delighted to be awarded Beacon status. The strong partnership working on waste and recycling schemes between all the authorities inSuffolkhas already achieved superb results. This good news also builds on our pioneering work in dealing with waste, for which St Edmundsbury achieved Beacon status in 2000.
"We are especially proud that we have just been audited as the best recycling and composting authority in the country, which reinforces the value of partnership working. Whilst recognising this is a great achievement I want to see this partnership continue to explore the cutting edge in waste disposal so we reduce to zero the waste we send to landfill."
The Suffolk bid was presented by Suffolk County Council (Lead) with Babergh District Council, Forest Heath District Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council and Waveney District Council
St Edmundsbury Borough Council can supply information on the kerbside collection scheme and arrange visits for interested councils.
If your authority is interested in green waste composting and would like further information, please contact:
Recycling and Waste Management Section
St Edmundsbury Borough Council
St Edmundsbury House
PO Box 122
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YS
Phone: 01284 757320
Fax: 01284 757462
Email: waste.management@stedsbc.gov.uk
