Council elections 2021
Updated 21st May 2021We wrote to the council leaders of each political party in advance of the council elections 2021, to convey important information and ask for support to transition to a system of zero waste. Responses from the Conservative Party, Green Party, and Liberal Democrats were all supportive. No response from the Labour Party.
Post election update: As the Conservative Party extended their majority in council, it is well worth reading through the correspondence with Keith Williams, the Conservative councillort for climate change. Please note particularly points about the use of Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). The creation and use of SRF is not beneficial. The only current viable alternative to this system is to move towards reduction and reuse, not in alternative methods of processing plastics. This is a vital point.
13th April 2021
Support for a healthy transition away from plastic to zero waste
Dear [party leader],
I am writing to you on behalf of the Plastic Free Swindon campaign. It was launched in July 2018, is part of Friends of the Earth and the global Break Free From Plastic movement. It is a campaign to end plastic pollution,which includes the popular Refill Swindon and Keep Swindon Tidy campaigns. It is a well supported and busy campaign doing positive work for local communities. Will you and your party actively support our campaign?
We have a library on our website, organised by category. From the wealth of information there, it is clear that we need to reduce plastic production rather than facilitate its continuance through our current system of plastic recycling, waste incineration / waste-to-energy and landfill.
- Plastic Free Swindon library
- ‘Beware plastic recycling’ article
- 'No to incineration' article
- Microplastic pollution devastating soil species, study finds’
Since at least the 1970s, the plastic / oil industry and public representatives have misled us to believe that such a system could be healthy.
Prioritising recycling of materials, including plastic, is problematic in many respects: resource depletion, loss of habitat, energy usage, transportation, financial cost, various types of pollution, climate change, mass extinction.
So it’s important for us to respect the waste hierarchy moving forwards. In contrast to our current unhealthy system of plastic recycling, landfill and incineration, is zero waste; prioritising reduction, reuse, repair, and remanufacture before recycling. Such a system would greatly reduce destructive environmental and social impacts, and reduce council spending on waste management. A recent report shows its benefits for local economies, in contrast to our current system:
- Repair creates over 200 times as many jobs as landfill and incineration.
- Recycling creates over 50 times as many jobs as landfill and incineration.
- Remanufacturing creates almost 30 times as many jobs as landfill and incineration.
Do you and your party support the implementation of a zero waste system in Swindon?
In December 2020, we responded to the council’s draft carbon reduction strategy. The contribution of plastics, most of which derive from fossil fuels, to climate change was not mentioned in that document. The 'Plastic and Climate' report by the Center For International Environmental Law (CIEL) shows the significant and growing climatic impacts of plastic production. Hence it is vital to reduce plastic production in order to deal with climate change. Hence the carbon reduction strategy must include strategies to reduce plastic production. Will your party support that?
Please pass this important information onto members of your party.
I look forward to your response on each of these points.
Kind regards,
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
Responses
Randomly ordered so as not to introduce bias.
Supportive of a zero waste system.
24th April 2021
Hi Ben,
As you will know, Caroline Lucas was one of the supporters of the Plastic Pollution Bill when it was first presented to Parliament. The reduction in plastic use described therein encompasses not just the single-use plastics that are most often talked about, but all plastics.
We in the Green Party have always been at the forefront of the fight against pollution of all sorts. Our policies are available online, I’ve pulled out a few examples below. These are all inline with the core values of the Green Party.
While the current council would no doubt argue that many things are outside of their control, there are many areas where they can take positive steps. Whether that is directly related to how they collect and process waste to their own purchasing decisions for goods and services. I would like to see a future council apply and test their powers to their absolute limit to enforce and encourage suppliers and consumers to reduce waste, particularly the use of plastics and single-use packaging.
For instance, while the council cannot roll out legislation similar to the recent EU built to last / right-to-repair rules they could support initiatives like Swindon’s Repair Café. Backing projects like the one at Savernake Hall and expanding it to other places, like the proposed Swindon Hub, would be a step in the right direction. Support from the council could not only expand the size of the operation but also the range of items to be repaired (such as electricals).
Where the council does not have the necessary powers I would want them to be vocal about demanding that changes must be made at a national level. It’s no good sitting on your backside in the council chamber claiming you are powerless when you could be banging on doors in Westminster.
If the Plastic Free Swindon campaign has specific actions you think that the council should be taking, we would welcome the opportunity to discuss them with you and see them enacted if we are elected.
On a wider point, it is only the Green Party that has recognised the climate crisis as the number one issue facing us today and put forward plans that come near to tackling it. Local Greens will have the climate crisis at the heart of everything they do on the council.
Kind regards,
Andy Bentley
Chair, Swindon Area Green Party
Some policy extracts, part of the holistic set of policies shaped by the Green Party’s core beliefs:
NR311 To induce industry to invest in resource saving technology by:
- minimising waste during manufacturing processes;
- the manufacture of long life products which can be repaired or reused;
NR312 To introduce new priorities for waste management:
- so that unnecessary waste is avoided;
- so that the efficient reuse, recycling and composting or digestion of waste is maximised;
- to work towards a target of zero waste. The zero waste concept encompasses producer responsibility, eco-design, waste reduction, reuse and recycling, all within a single framework with the aim of eliminating altogether waste sent to landfill or incinerators.
IN212 The nature of some industrial sectors must change, such as from resource extraction to the 'circular economy'. For example, landfill and incineration will shift to reuse, repair and high-value recycling. Similarly, fossil fuel extraction must be replaced (not supplemented by) investment in renewable energy solutions. This will affect the nature of the markets for some products – such as increased leasing and extended product warranties. Unsustainable industries should be discouraged by using green taxes, enhanced regulations and standards and ecolabelling (see below).
IN213 In some cases whole production shall be shifted to more environmentally sustainable and socially useful products, while retaining skills and employment.
IN214 New Industry areas will need to be developed and will create significant new employment, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises. Innovation is needed to deliver sustainability while reducing overall energy production and consumption (positive energy return on energy invested). Government should prioritise investment in sustainable industries to deliver zero waste, zero carbon and localisation of transport sector (see hierarchy in PSS section).
Supportive of a zero waste system.
26th April 2021
Ben,
Thank you for your email regarding supporting a healthy transition away from plastic to zero waste. We are are very happy to support moving to zero waste and a carbon reduction strategy.
I would also like to highlight the consequences of online purchasing which create monstrous amounts of packaging waste and the need to return to support local shops and town centre shops.
Best regards,
Stan Pajak
Borough councillor, Swindon Liberal Democrats
Supportive of a zero waste system
30th April 2021
Hi Ben,
The Swindon Conservative administration is keen to eliminate the use of plastics derived from fossil fuels as far as possible. This is implied in our goal of being carbon negative before 2030 and is already being implemented through measures we have had in place for a couple of years.
One example is zero tolerance of single use plastics being a condition of our procurement process for a couple of years now. The civic campus also took steps to eliminate single use plastics a couple of years ago.
Where plastic waste still exists throughout the wider Swindon (around a thousand tons is collected each year), we do use a certified U.K. disposal route that ensures it is processed responsibly.
We also have a working relationship with recycling technologies based at Waterside and have worked with other suppliers on more sustainable ways to deal with plastic waste and will continue to do so.
Regards,
Keith Williams
Borough councillor for climate change, Swindon Conservative Party
30th April 2021
Thanks for your response. However, you don't state whether you and your party support the implementation of a system of zero waste in Swindon. Please let us know.
Thanks,
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
3rd May 2021
Hi Ben,
It's not a policy decision that has been formerly discussed given we are a long way from that point currently.
I am happy to commit to pursuing the Zero Waste City approach as this is something we have been attempting to achieve in all but name. Only 3% of Swindon’s waste currently goes to landfill and from Spring through to Autumn we generate enough renewable energy within the Borough to power every home.
Keith Williams
Borough councillor for climate change, Swindon Conservative Party
4th May 2021
Good to read that you will "commit to pursuing the Zero Waste City approach".
3% of Swindon's waste may go to landfill. How much is indirectly incinerated ie made into Solid Recovered Fuel to be burnt? The 'No to incineration' article makes clear that the creation and use of SRF is not healthy.
Please let's focus on plastic pollution. Renewable energy is not related.
Kind regards,
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
18th May 2021
Hi Keith,
I note that you haven't responded re the impact of waste incineration / waste-to-energy. Did you read the article?
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
18th May 2021
Thanks Ben, I have just read it. We redirect 100,000 tonnes of plastic to recycling every year.
Whilst in an ideal world we would not have the levels of plastic waste going into general waste we do need a pragmatic way of dealing with it. Until more viable cost effective solutions are available, incineration unfortunately the only realistic choice.
I’m happy if you have alternatives, but having had council officers investigate pyrolysis which seemed a viable alternative the future small scale options including plasmafication are not ready for the mass market yet either.
Regards,
Keith Williams
Borough councillor for climate change, Swindon Conservative Party
18th May 2021
Thanks Keith,
Can you clarify what you mean by, "We redirect 100,000 tonnes of plastic to recycling every year" please? Are you referring to SRF?
It's good to understand your / the council's position. No, there is currently no good way to deal with plastic, maybe there never will be. Plastic pollutes throughout its life, not just when it's wasted. Given the levels of pollution and urgent need for reduction, we need to stop facilitating continued plastic production. That is the only viable alternative to trying to manage plastic waste.
Correct messaging is so important. Can the council communicate the importance of plastic reduction over plastic use, recycling and waste incineration / waste-to-energy to residents? Portraying the use of SRF as beneficial, as the council have, is comparative and misleading at best. Pollution, fuel emissions and energy requirements of SRF are not mentioned. The health impacts on communities in Eastern Europe where Swindon's SRF is sent are not mentioned. Such inaccurate messaging enables continued plastic usage.
Ways to reduce plastic production are set out in our campaign's aims. We need to create the ideal world that you mention. I hope that we can work together towards those aims.
https://plasticfreeswindon.org/about/#aims
Kind regards,
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
20th May 2021
Hi Ben,
The 100,000 tonnes I was referring to was a mistake on my part. £200,000 is the amount we currently spend annually to have the plastic we recover from kerbside collections recycled at a cost of £200 / tonne. The actually total weight is therefore 1000 tonnes.
Personally I’m not a massive fan of the weight based targets we have from the EU targets set over 20 years ago, as councils are being pushed towards initiatives like food waste collection rather than home composting in an effort to hit the 40-50-60% targets.
There is some work underway that I can’t go into detail on, but later this year there will be a renewed focus on waste, recycling and the education around it.
Regards,
Keith Williams
Borough councillor for climate change, Swindon Conservative Party
21st May 2021
Thanks for the correction / clarifying. 1000 tonnes of plastic recycled in Swindon per year, 3% of waste goes to landfill. How much plastic is processed in the SRF plant, sent to Eastern Europe and burnt? Does such a figure exist? Thinking about the practicalities of such a measurement, it seems unlikely. The release of dioxins, furans and other persistent toxins into the environment of those communities is a tragedy causing disease and suffering that will likely last for generations. Do you think that any of those communities would describe SRF as beneficial, as Swindon Borough Council have?
This kind of devastation is why education is so important and so urgent here. As you're probably aware, we in the UK are currently the second largest producers of plastic in the world per person. So it is vital that the waste hierarchy is properly communicated and understood because Swindon and the UK need to dramatically reduce our plastic consumption. I hope that the council initiative you mention will serve this function.
Kind regards,
Ben Bell
Plastic Free Swindon co-ordinator.
Awaiting response...
No response.
The leader of the Labour Party within council told us that the party would respond but they failed to do so, ignoring our reminders.