Decision details

To consider how the revenue income from the sale of clothing and textiles deposited in recycling banks on council land should be distributed.

At the meeting of the on 3^rd September 2012, the Executive endorsed the recommendation of the Streetscene Policy Development and Review Panel that Officers prepare a competitive tender for the exclusive rights to provide and service clothing and textile recycling banks on Council owned land within the borough.

The Executive also requested Officers to bring forward a further report setting out options for distributing the proceeds arising from the award of the tender, following consultation with members of the public via Community Action Team meetings.

The tender process has been completed and the contract awarded to The European Recycling Company Ltd. The contract commenced on 1^st April 2013 and is for a term of four years

A public consultation has been conducted over a period of eight weeks, closing on 10^th March 2013. The methodology and results of the consultation are summarised in the attached briefing paper and appendices.

The Executive approves:

(a)     that 90% of the net proceeds from the clothing and textile recycling contract be given to good causes with the remaining 10% being retained by the Council and used to help keep Council Tax bills down by supporting services for residents;

(b)     that from the 90% of net proceeds, the 3 current textile bank operators - Air Ambulance Service, Salvation Army and TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid & International Development) will receive a guaranteed income of a share of £35,000 based on the current proportion of tonnages collected by each operator and subject to the tonnages of textiles being collected remaining at a sufficiently high level to permit this; and

(c)     that the remainder of the 90% of net proceeds from the clothing and textile contract be allocated to the Council’s Community Fund from which residents and local groups can bid.