22 April 2022

The Loughborough and North West Leicestershire Green Party constructively criticises the Leicestershire Waste Partnership Consultation Exercise for relying too much on residents’ own efforts, and failing to require inclusion of a public transport strategy and central government instigated plastic prevention initiatives   

In a submission to the online survey which closes Monday 25^th April, 2022, the Loughborough and NWL Green Party concluded after member discussions, that there was too little consideration for people without transport, living in flats and in rural areas. There was a common thread in the document of relying on individuals to be able to reach tool hire, refill shops,  car boot sales and household waste sites. Local activist, Naomi Bottomley stated “Comprehensive proposals like these must be drawn up in conjunction with public transport plans for it to work for everyone” and Faye Forde, Green Party organiser for Loughborough added “leaving major waste strategies to local authorities is inadequate and needs central government action to compel massive reductions and changes in plastic packaging”

One solution the group proposed was to have large municipal waste skips for public use like they do in the Netherlands and Brighton. This would cut down littering and fly-tipping and make it easy for people to keep waste contained, prior to processing. 

Margaret Macdonald, Communications Officer for NW Leicestershire concluded “there are major oversights in these proposals including the mechanisms of implementation and problems relating to trade and business waste. There is no way this should be contracted out to third party companies whose primary motivation is profit and hence cutting corners.”

The full submission can be found here

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