Decision details

To enter into a 3 year contractual agreement with Future Recycling Limited and Suez Recycling and Recovery Ltd for the trial collection and recycling of flexible plastics from the kerbside in the borough at no cost to Cheltenham Borough Council with effect from September 2022.

Cheltenham Borough Council is committed to waste reduction and recycling as set out in corporate priority 3 of our corporate plan 2019-2023 and more recent climate emergency declaration.

The FPF FlexCollect project is a collaboration between the Flexible Packaging Fund (FPF), DEFRA, UKRI, FRL, WRAP, RECOUP and SUEZ to deliver flexible plastic packaging kerbside collection pilots/trials to investigate how local authority kerbside collections of flexible plastic packaging could be optimally rolled out when extended producer responsibility measures are introduced in the UK. 

The pilot with Cheltenham Borough Council will be funded by the FPF FlexCollect Project procured by FRL from the FPF, DEFRA, UKRI and this project, to implement fortnightly kerbside collection and recycling of flexible plastics using our existing fleet of vehicles, will be delivered by SUEZ, WRAP and RECOUP along with this Council.

The contract/collaboration agreement is for a 3 year period and Future Recycling Limited will fund any agreed additional operational costs of delivering a kerbside collection of flexible plastic packaging which will be introduced across the borough in a phased approach over the 3 years, starting in October 2022.

Sufficient capacity for the projected demand from residents has been identified on the vehicles and should this demand be exceeded there are operational solutions available and the funding of this and any other operational issues that may occur during the pilot will be separately agreed with Future Recycling Limited and Suez Recycling and Recovery Ltd as set out in the contract.

Implementation of this additional recyclable material will contribute to Cheltenham’s recycling rate by increasing the amount of flexible plastic collected and recycled.  Cheltenham Borough Council is only responsible for collection of this material and the haulage and subsequent recycling is the responsibility of Future Recycling Limited and Suez Recycling and Recovery Ltd.

There are no alternative cost neutral solutions for kerbside collection and recycling of flexible plastics available at present.  This pilot/trial is intended to help inform DEFRA regarding the cost of new burdens for local authorities as a result of the statutory requirement to collect flexible plastics by March 2027.

Internal consultation has taken place with relevant officers and the Cabinet Member, Waste, Recycling and Street Services.

Officers and the cabinet member agree that it would advantageous to enter into a contract arrangement to collect and encourage recycling of flexible plastics in advance of our statutory requirement to do so by March 2027.