Equality Impact Assessment - Recycling and Landfill Collection Contract

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Information about the recycling and landfill collection service

Purpose of the service:

• Contain and collect recyclable and compostable waste from residents within the Borough, so that it can be recycled or composted and diverted from landfill.  
• Contain and collect residual waste from residents within the Borough.

The service consists of:

• Weekly collection of dry recyclable materials from 55L green box/es   
• Cardboard collected from a white reusable bag
• Weekly collection of kitchen waste using 5L kitchen caddie and 23L outside kerbside container
• Fortnightly collection of residual refuse from 180L or 240L wheelie bins
• Collection of green garden waste from a wheelie bin

Some aspects of the new service are new and some are adopted from the current service, these are as follows:

• Fortnightly collection of recyclables from green box is an existing function. The new contract includes a greater range of recyclables which will be collected weekly.
• Weekly collection of kitchen waste is an existing function provided to approximately 8,400 properties.  A Borough-wide service is a new function.
• Fortnightly collection of residual refuse from a wheelie bin is a new function. Currently 2,400 houses are involved in a trial that involves residual refuse being collected fortnightly in a 140L or 240L wheelie bin.  For the rest of the houses within the Borough residual refuse is collected weekly in black sacks or dustbins so the use of a wheelie bin is a new function.
• Collection of green waste is an existing function provided Borough-wide.  The current collection method is with a re-usable jute bag.  The new collection method would be from a wheelie bin and is a new function.

The function is a universal service to all residents and is not designed to meet the specific needs of minority groups.

Because of the significance of these changes and the fact that they affect all Borough residents, an Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken on the new service.

Sources of information on the equalities implications of the service

Wheelie bins have been used in the Berrylands Trial and information has been gained from experience of residents.

A postal survey was undertaken of the Berrylands Trial residents (1,207 responses) by Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute as part of the consultation with residents on the new collection contract.

Difficulties experienced by disabled and older residents in the Berrylands trial area were recorded, as follows:

• Wheelie bin too heavy even when empty
• New recycling arrangements complicated
• Resident's child uses 6 incontinence pads per day - issue of volume for waste bin and attraction of rodents
• Necessary for home care to become involved to assist with complexity of new system
• Unable to see well enough to clean food bin properly, resulting in maggots in the kitchen food waste container
• Elderly couple, wife severely disabled.  Required assistance with the collection.
• 2 disabled people at property. Wheelie bin had maggots and filled in 1 week. Neighbour taking excess to tip.

Feedback from residents in the trial area has led to the use of corn starch liners for kitchen waste containers.

A consultation event was held with Council staff and representatives of minority groups to identify concerns in relation to the proposed new collection arrangements.  (Please see the appendix  below for the report of this consultation)

Wheelie bins are now used by about 50% of Local Authorities for waste and/or recycling collections.

Equalities analysis of information gathered

• Older and disabled residents may have some difficulty with the use of the collection containers and may find the containers too large.
• Boxes of recyclable materials can be too heavy for disabled or older people to carry. If bags are used, these may split if people drag them along the ground because they can’t carry them.
• If boxes are used without lids, paper gets wet and the box is then even heavier.
• Some residents may have difficulty in remembering what can and cannot be recycled and how the materials should be sorted.
• Visually impaired residents may have difficulty in distinguishing the different bins used for recycling.
• Visually impaired residents in particular have problems when collection crews leave empty boxes and other containers on the footway. In addition, visually impaired people have difficulty if care is not taken to replace the boxes to the precise location as the resident left them for collection.
• Wheelchair users who travel independently by car have problems if containers are left on their driveways such that they cannot drive their cars onto their property in order to transfer from car to wheelchair. One such resident had to phone a neighbour from her car to ask them to move the boxes so that she could drive onto her driveway.
• Wheelchair users and older people may have difficulty in using a wheelie bin.

If minority groups have more difficulty than others this is not justified and reasonable adjustments will need to be made to enable everyone to use the bins provided.

Actions proposed/taken to address detrimental impacts and specific needs of minority groups

• Development of criteria for Assisted Collections (for older and disabled residents).
• Development of criteria for Alternative Containers for those residents who have a real difficulty in using wheelie bins (eg wheelchair users, frail older people).
• Inception meeting with Contractor
• Contractor Induction Training, to involve Disability Equality and Access Officer
• DES Contact Centre / Community Care Services Briefing
• Workshop for social care and voluntary sector staff to enable them to help vulnerable residents to use the new collection arrangements.
• Clear written, pictorial and audio information will be provided to ensure that residents are clear about what materials can be recycled and how they should be sorted (Door-to-door distribution of Service Information Booklet)
• Booklet required as audio CD and cassette tape, in large print and translated into different languages
• CRM used to ensure that, where possible, visually impaired residents are sent the service information in their preferred format (audio or large print).
• Identify those who need assisted collections (using existing list, service information booklet and workshop for social care and voluntary sector staff).

Update on actions post roll-out of service (December 2008)

• Data from Council Tax and Benefits was used to pro-actively provide visually impaired people with information in audio or large print format, so that they did not need to request this.
• This exercise enabled us to find out about other residents, whose needs we did not have on record, so that we can use their preferred format pro-actively in the future.

Evaluation of action taken

Review to be undertaken by Council and Contractor 12 months (approximately October 2009) after implementation of new service.

Assessment completed by:

Mandy Scharer/Jane Young

Environmental Services

August 2008

Appendix to EQIA on Recycling and Landfill Collection Contract

Consultation event Monday 21 January 2008

RBK Attendees:

Waste/environmental services/communications: Jim Brennan (JB), Mandy Scharer (MS), Rosalyn Steward (RS), John Haynes (JH), Ivor Knight (IK), Simon Hoy (SH)

Equalities officers/officers working with minority groups: Silas Voon (SV), Francis Arokiasamy (FA, Equalities Adviser), Jackie Kerkham (JK, Hospital Social Worker), Margaret Hazel (MH, Estate Manager - Housing) and Carol Barnshaw (CB, Sensory Impairment Team manager).

External Attendees:

Lisa Nichols (LN, Chief Executive, Kingston Centre for Independent Living) and Ray Stonehill (RSt, Kingston MS Society)

1. Introduction

JB provided an update on the Tender process for the new Refuse and Recycling Collection Contract.

2. Collection Method and Containers

(a) Wheelie Bins

LN: Residents in wheelchairs will find them difficult to use, even placing rubbish in.  Height of bin is an issue.

FA: Elderly residents will also have difficulty using the bin.

IK: There are 2 elderly residents in the Berrylands Trial that could not cope with the trial.  A visit was undertaken and the residents are not required to use the wheelie bin.

SV: Need to ensure that dustmen are aware of special needs, is it possible to label the bin.

RS: Explained the Assisted Collections list.

RSt: Will there be weekly or fortnightly collection of residual refuse?

JB: Has not been decided.  Options in bid explained.

LN: What about nappies?

JB: The bin will contain the smell from nappies and incontinence pads if the lid is kept closed.

CB: Visually impaired people currently have trouble with Collection Crews throwing bins.

JB: Location of bin important.  Are aware of issues residents have with crews, however this can be difficult to enforce.

RSt: Residents are concerned about frequency of collection, they can forget to put container.  Some residents do not put containers out for collection, Carers do.

JK: Care Plans are available.

CB: Lives in Richmond and it can take at least 15 minutes to organise her refuse and recycling for collection.

FA: Use wheelie bin with black sacks, will the bin be taken to the collection vehicle?

JB: Residents will be asked to bring bin to front of house, would prefer to keep crews out of resident’s gardens.

RSt: Is a visit required to assess if a resident should go on the Assisted Collections list?

JB: Assisted Collections will need to be reviewed with the new Contract, as we pay the Contractor per collection.  There would be a telephone assessment firstly.

IK: Will be a need to visit to assess/educate the resident, which was what happened in the Berrylands Trial.

JH: There will be a resource issue if a number of site visits were required.

RSt: Voluntary Sector could be used to visit residents (eg. KVA, MS) or provide references.

LN: Colour of wheelie bin?  It is important for residents to be able to identify different bins.

JB: Numerous colours available and bins will also be branded.

CB: Visually impaired people will have difficulty with colours and will need to have patterns.  Need to inform residents of what will be provided if they can’t use the bin.

SV: Bring Sites are helpful, residents need to be made more aware that they exist.

FA: Communication material on Assisted Collections needs to be fair and equitable.

JB: Need to be mindful of resident information held by other Council sections.

(b) Recycling

JK: Has an issue with paper getting wet in the green box, would like a separate bag.

White cardboard bag shown to group.

FA: Bag would blow away once emptied.

RS: Bag has weight in the bottom.

LN: The bag would tear if pulled along by residents that can’t lift it.

JB: A recycling bag would be a better option than a box for some residents.

(c) Kitchen Waste – 25L Kerbside container and 5L kitchen caddy

JB: Collection of kitchen waste important to achieve landfill diversion, as food waste rots and produces greenhouse gases.

RSt: Residents will trial new service, however must be provided with liners.

LN: Good to have liners for both containers.  Assisted Collections need to be considered.

CB: The 25L container maybe too big for residents living by themselves.

Discussions held on also using a compost bin.

(d) Flats

JB: Residual refuse will stay weekly.  Individual assessment of blocks of flats required to determine best option.  Some flats are currently on dustbin rounds and may stay like this.

Two options for collecting dry recyclables being considered:

• Mini recycling centres; and
• Orange Sacks.

FA: Disabled people and parents with pushchairs have problems with sacks being placed in hallways, a collection point would be better.

IK: New blocks of flats built have a proper collection area.  Private blocks of flats do not like the Orange Sacks due to security and possible damage to carpeted hallways.  Some flats currently have access to green box recycling service.

JB: Council are committed to providing same recycling service to flats as houses.

RSt: Happy to engage with residents to determine appropriate collection method.

JB: Council will have its preferred method of collection, which it will try to sell to residents.  Implementation is scheduled over 1 year.

Next steps summarised by JB

3. Communications

JH explained the plans for communication of the new arrangements:

• Service information booklet on new service is most important, will be mailed to every resident
• There will also be media releases and road shows
• Communication Strategy has been developed, which has identified printers/designers to be used
• Ipos MORI Consultation provided vital information
• Communication Implementation to start in June for the changes from September
• Articles in Livin’ Kingston
• Internal Communications is important, something that needs to be improved
• Awareness cards important to educate residents
• All communication material needs to meet Kingston Council’s Style Guide
• Standard text for residents who need help
• Material can be translated into 12 languages

CB: Audio and large print material needs to be sent to visually impaired.  RBK does have a list of visually impaired/blind residents within the Borough.  If material was distributed through this list, it may need to be sent through CB.

RSt: Disabled residents can be contacted through Voluntary Organisations, with KVA being the main organisation.

LN: Kingston Centre for Independent newsletter in July could include information on new service.

JH to make contact with KVA.

FA: Translating Communication Material to residents has a cost implication that needs to be considered.  Material should include more pictures than text.  Community Care Services and Schools within the Council need to be utilised.

JH: It is helpful that colours and symbols are standard across recycling.

SV: Need to communicate changes to Kingston students.

JH: Possible to get information included in the student’s River Magazine.

JK: Could also visit schools to educate kids.

JH circulated contact details to group.

MS summarised next steps again.