2014

RSC0649 - Parking restrictions for refuse collection access in problem areas - 241214

RSC0648 - Bulky waste collection policies and arrangements - 241214

This member local authority is considering how they provide their bulky waste services. They would be interested to hear from any local authorities who no longer provide this service or alternatives to what they offer alongside any policy arrangements? For example:-

RSC612 - Charges for seizing abandoned shopping trolley's
This local authority seize abandoned shopping trolley’s and would like to benchmark their collection, storage and disposal charges against other authorities. If possible please could you provide the charges for the following:

• Collection cost
• Storage per week or part of
• Delivery fee for returns to owners premises
• Disposal and recycling if not collected within 6 weeks
• Total cost if not collected within 6 weeks

They would also like to find out if any authorities have an agreement with any of the owners to advise them of the trolley’s location, giving them a chance to pick them up themselves? If so, is this with national chains and how does it work?

RSC611 - Haulage only contract for the collection of waste from a waste transfer station - 100414
This local authority would be interested in hearing from other local authorities who have let a haulage only contract for the collection of Waste from a Waste Transfer Station and delivery to a MRF, Treatment Facility or Disposal site (Recycling, General Waste and Food/Green).

If so, they would also be interested in receiving copies of specifications for such works.

RSC0609 - Recycling at primary schools - 030414
This local authority is currently looking to implement kerbside recycling at all of their primary schools. The proposal is to roll out a staged service following a pilot including approximately 13 schools.

They would welcome feedback from other local authorities on how you initiated school recycling but in particular, tonnage data for the materials collected. If you are able to, please provide tonnage data on the following recyclates:

• Separate paper
• Mixed recyclate
• Organic
• Textiles
• Cardboard

RSC0608B - Chewing gum removal from city centres and town centres - 030414
This local authority would like to find out from other authorities how they remove chewing gum from city centres and town centres. They would like to know what equipment is used and the time of the day that this is used during the normal working day.

RSC0608A - Disposal of excess waste water from road sweepers
This authority would like to find out from other authorities how you dispose of the excess waste water from road sweepers when on site.

Do you return to a depot and empty the water into an interceptor tank each time it is full, or do you empty this down a roadside gully on site?

This is only applicable to road sweepers with a rear drainage hose and not sweepers fitted with a recycling system.

RSC0600 - Resident's responsibility for the maintenance of the footway outside of their property - 110314
This authority would like to find out if any local authority considered (or indeed implemented) a scheme of resident's being responsible for the maintenance of the footway outside of their property. This responsibility could cover some or all of clearing of litter, dog mess, snow and vegetation. They would be grateful to hear from anyone who has any experience of this, either as a policy throughout the authority or localised to particular neighbourhoods.

RSC0602 - Payment of parking penalties - 110314
This authority is being challenged to improve the payment rate of parking penalties which have reached the debt collection / bailiff stage. Has any authority considered the following, and if so, what was the result?

• Selling penalty debt ‘up front’ to a collection agency (Is this legal?)
• Using ‘sting’ operations with bailiffs to entice debtors to come forward (e.g. fake prizes)
• Use of CCTV ANPR technology to track ‘wanted vehicles’ and inform bailiffs

The authority would also be appreciative of any other proven ideas which have improved payment rates.

RSC0607 - Starting times for domestic collections - 190314
This local authority are currently reviewing starting times for domestic refuse & recycling collections and would appreciate feedback from other APSE members as to their start times of domestic collections.

RSC0605 - Fly-tipped asbestos waste - 140314
This authority would like to know if any local authority has used external trainers to train staff in the collection of asbestos waste. If so, have you managed to find any trainers who tailor the training to fly-tipped asbestos waste?

Could you also confirm if you undertake training from external trainers on this or do this through internal training/Safe Working Procedures.

RSC0603 - Drivers’ handbooks – 110314
This local authority would like to review and update their drivers’ handbook and would appreciate it if other local authorities would provide electronic copies of theirs. Please would you forward your drivers handbook through?

RSC0601 - Seven day working for street cleansing services – 110314
This authority’s Street Cleaning service are exploring a number of options on alternative shift patterns adopted by other local authorities, especially seven day working. They would be interested if those who have adopted alternative shift patterns could share their experiences including;

• What was the driver for change
• The shift pattern(s) adopted
• Payments (single time or time and a half) for Saturday and Sunday working
• The process of change
• Learning points from the experience

Use of Section 46 notices from the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - RSC0604/140314
This local authority is seeking information about the use of Section 46 notices to control and manage waste collection arrangements in order to maximise recycling. Especially:

• How you have informed the public when introducing your recycling collection scheme, so they understand the policies and potential sanctions
• What you have done to ensure that you can enforce separation of recycling materials (including composting), either by use of s.46 notices or other means
• What action you take if contamination of a waste container occurs, for both recycling waste and non-recyclable residual waste
• What different stages of education/warning do you follow before you move to fixed penalty notice or prosecution?

Tonnage of waste collected per collector per day - RSC0599/060314
This local authority would like to find out from other authorities, relating to bagged waste collections, what tonnage is reasonably expected to be collected per collector per day? Is a limit applied where if a certain tonnage is exceeded, an additional operative is added to the collection team to distribute the weight?

Random drug testing of operational staff - RSC0597/030314
This authority is considering the introduction of random drug testing for operational staff. Have any other authorities introduced a similar policy and if so

• What are the pitfalls?
• Does the testing include office based staff or just operational staff?
• Would you be willing to share your policy?

Trade waste marketing officer’s post - RSC0606
This local authority would like to hear from other authorities who have a marketing officer dedicated to selling trade waste services to local businesses. If this applies to you, please would you forward a copy of their job description and any other relevant information to this post. This authority would also appreciate your thoughts on whether this post should be incentivised or not.

Fortnightly commercial waste collections - RSC0596/270214
This local authority would like feedback from any other authorities who have implemented fortnightly commercial waste collections, including your experiences, successes and challenges.

Chewing Gum - RSC0595/140214
This local authority would like information about how other authorities tackle the problem of gum. Have you ever used the services of the Chewing Gum Action Group and if so please would you provide feedback on this?

Public Conveniences - RSC0594
This local authority are looking to update the signage on their toilets and would like to know what information other local authorities include on their signs. Also do other Authorities have public inspection/cleaning records (i.e. notices explaining when the toilets were last cleaned/inspected) and are they helpful?

4-day working week in refuse - RSC0593/110214
This local authority would like to hear from other authorities who have moved to 4 day working in refuse.  

They would appreciate feedback on:

• Advantages/challenges experiences
• Any impacts on health or other issues
• Please provide details of how many bins are on the rounds

Recycling promotional items - RSC0590/140114
This local authority would like to find out off other councils what items they give away to members of the public when promoting recycling (e.g. pens, pencils, rulers, wheelie bin sharpeners).

Streetscene services supervisors - RSC0592/210114
This local authority would like feedback from other local authorities who operate a streetscene service, in terms of whether or not you employ supervisors. In particular, they would welcome feedback on the following questions:

• Do you employ streetscene supervisors?
• If not, please explain how the service operates without supervisors?
• If you do employ supervisors,
• Are these area-based supervisors, service based supervisors (e.g. grounds maintenance) or another type of supervision?
• What is the ratio of supervisors to front line staff?
• Has the ratio of supervisors to front line staff changed over the past few years?
• If so how has it changed and why?
• Are you considering changes to the way you use supervisors?
• If so what are you considering and why?
• What are the key issues around whether to have supervisors or not?

Awarding contracts for Waste Collection and/or Street Cleansing - RSC0589/020114
This Authority is keen to hear from any councils that have awarded contracts for Waste Collection and/or Street Cleansing in the last 12-18 months, or have brought back or retained either of these services in-house as a result of a recent tender exercise. Namely:

• Did you outsource, in source or retain in house?
• How long is the new contract (specify any break clause/extension options)?
• Did your annual costs for these services increase or decrease as a result of the procurement exercise?
• Approximately, what % change (+/-) in costs did you experience? Please comment if you feel the reduction or increase in costs was a result of service changes, through economies of scale or / and purely due to market forces.
• For external contracts awarded, how will annual inflation be calculated and how have you managed risks around this?
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