Disposing of rubbish after Christmas

Author: Alex Thomson, Localis, in the MJ   |  

It’s time to take the rubbish out of the Christmas break says Alex Thomson.

As Christmas approaches (rather quickly to many), the nation gears itself up for its annual celebration of family, religion, and prodigious consumption of food and booze. And, surrounding everything, a tidal wave of wrapping paper. And it is on the latter ? and other forms of festive rubbish ? that Localis’ thoughts are focused at this time of year.

We have recently launched, in partnership with Westminster City Council, the latest addition to our Big Society pamphlet series,The Big Green Society. The pamphlet provides practical suggestions for reforming and improving the way in which waste management and cleansing is carried out in local government, and how local communities can be encouraged to ‘muck in’.

Dealing with the 80 million tonnes of rubbish we produce annuallycosts local authorities around œ1.3 billion every year, making waste collection and disposal one of the costliest frontline public services. Our research centred on three components of the community with whom local authorities can work to develop mutually beneficial relationships ? residents, businesses and the public sector ? whilst still providing high-quality frontline services to improve local environments.

There are already a significant number of examples from across the country demonstrating the willingness of local people to do their bit for their area ?such as Bromley LBC’s ‘Street Friends’ and Essex CC’s ‘Waste Busters’.

But there are still those who believe that their rubbish is wholly the council’s problem. The challenge for local authorities is to harness the important work of the community-spirited, whilst also seeking to change the attitudes and behaviours of those who take less responsibility.

We advocate that local authorities should move from being mere service providers and enforcers to ‘enablers’, placing a positive emphasis on recognition and reward and ensuring that a two-way communication channel is opened up between residents and the council ? which, as the success of the Love Lewisham scheme shows, can be very fruitful. The more residents feel involved in their community, and empowered to change it, the greater sense of responsibility they will feel for its maintenance.

The private sector also provides a pool of potentially useful partners with whom local authorities can work to improve their local environments. Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have been a successful way for businesses to contribute in Westminster (and elsewhere), and in Windsor and Maidenhead the RecycleBank scheme ensures residents are rewarded for recycling with vouchers and discounts provided by local supermarkets and department stores.

Councils should also look to harness the good work of businesses that already engage as part of their corporate identity, such as McDonalds and Greggs.

Finally, innovative and mutually-supportive relationships are not limited to the private sector; local government should also look to other branches of the public sector. Durham and Darlington PCT, for example, gave Durham County Council œ1m over two years to purchase grit to combat snow and ice on roads and pavements ?an early-intervention measure against residents slipping and injuring themselves.

The pamphlet examines the points raised here in more detail and draws upon a range of examples from this county and overseas. The wide variety of these case studies demonstrates that it is a locality-specific approach to creating environmentally responsible communities and cleaner, greener neighbourhoods that is the key to creating a Big Green Society.

The Big Green Society: Empowering communities to create cleaner, greener neighbourhoods is available for free download from our website www.localis.org.uk.

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