Our Ref: FWM/SL/GP/ FOI4009

Date: 27th April 2010

Via Email:

<[FOI #31854 email]

Dear Mr Harrow

Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Request for Information

I am writing in respect of your recent enquiry for information held by the Authority under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You have requested information on recycling activities carried out by Birmingham City Council including and in particular, the way in which the facts and figures are compiled, along with the sources used.

There are sources that quote different figures in various places, and it is very difficult to determine both the percentage of people who recycle and what constitutes recycling.

The recycling rates for Birmingham over the last ten years are:-

Recycling is defined by the action and not by the material. Donating clothes to a charity is a reuse activity as the waste will be reused in its original form, i.e. as clothing. Recycling is basically putting the material through a process which reuses it instead of using more virgin materials to make a product which may be the same as or different from the original product (e.g. recycling metal from food cans into cars).

The Government sets a series of National Indicators which are used to measure Local Authority performance across a range of functions which are required to be adopted by Local Authorities within England. National Indicator (NI) 192 reports the recycling rate for household waste and specifies the method of calculation, the inclusions and exclusions.

The Government has also established a National Waste Strategy 2007 in which it sets national recycling targets which are expected to be reflected within Local Authority waste strategies. Birmingham City Council adopted a revised Municipal Waste Strategy 2006 to 2026 in November 2006.

The Council's strategy (www.birmingham.gov.uk/wastestrategy) sets a series of targets which have been broken down further into annual targets to increase recycling within Birmingham. The “working target” for 2009/10 (April to March) was set by the Cabinet Member responsible for this activity at 32% and we have just achieved that target.

NI 192 measures household waste which is actually more than just waste coming from the household through our collection services but includes street cleansing wastes, wastes taken to the Household Recycling Centres and wastes generated by hostels, homes, hospitals, educational establishments and others.

Municipal waste is household waste plus waste from commercial and industrial concerns who ask us to provide a service to them (we are obligated by law to provide these services where requested, at a reasonable price for businesses within our administrative area whereas most household waste has to be collected without further charge as it is financed through Government funding or the Council Tax).

In general terms the recycling rate is calculated by dividing the waste that is reused, recycled or composted by the total collected whilst discounting the waste coming from businesses and certain other wastes which the Government have identified.

We provide separate fortnightly doorstep collections for paper and card, green garden waste, co-mingled materials (plastic bottles, food and drinks cans, glass bottles and jars) to over 98% of all households and collect residual waste (refuse) weekly from every household.

If you are not satisfied with the response you may ask for an internal review.

To do this, please contact Birmingham City Council's central FOI Team at this address:

Corporate DP/FOI Team

3^rd Floor,

1 Lancaster Circus,

Birmingham B4 7AB

Tel: 0121 303 4876 email: [Birmingham City Council request email]

If subsequently you are not satisfied with the Council's decision you may apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at the following address:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 01625 545745

Web Address: www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Sonya Cerutti

Information Governance Manager

Business Support - Data Protection/Freedom of Information

Performance and Support Services

Re use of Public Sector Information

The information provided is subject to Birmingham City Council copyright, however, it may be re-used for personal, educational or non-commercial purposes without further reference to the City Council. If the re-use is for other purposes, such as commercial re-use, you should notify the City Council in writing to seek approval or agree terms for re-use. Where Birmingham City Council does not hold the copyright, it has indicated the copyright holder. Permission for re-use should be sought from them directly.

Environment and Culture

PO Box 2122 Telephone: 0121 303 1294

Alpha Tower Fax: 0121 303 4943

Suffolk Street, Queensway

Birmingham

B1 1TZ