1. Delivering Improvements in Waste and Recycling Collection Services

2. Key Member Concerns Repeat missed collections
Missed assisted collections
Poor customer interaction
Lack of clear information during operational delays
No visibility of communal bins online

3. Aim
To deliver a high quality and reliable waste and recycling service to the residents of Edinburgh

4. How will we get there? Service reorganisation
Improved consistency of collections
Improved customer interactions
Improved information
Improved engagement and enforcement
Investment in staff
Investment in vehicles
Investment in depots

5. Service Reorganisation
Creation of a Waste and Cleansing service to better join up functions
Centrally managed but locality-focused
Re-alignment of resources to focus on priorities for residents
More emphasis placed on frontline operations and a ‘right first time’ approach

6. Improved Consistency of Collections
Settled crews on key waste and recycling streams – residual, DMR (green bin) and food
Mirror collections for residual and DMR with same crew servicing the same properties each week, alongside food caddies being collected by the same crews each week
Investment in a new routing system with in-cab functionality to assist crews in identifying all properties on routes

7. Improved Customer Interactions
Clearer communication – working times, response times, updates etc.
Embrace the Channel Shift agenda and optimise processes based around our customers
Improved feedback to customers at a property level as opposed to current street level data
Better use of technology – provide updates to residents on outstanding collections or reasons for non-collection (e.g. bin contaminated)

8. Improved Information
Good improvements in this area (e.g. kerbside recycling campaign)
Update web pages to allow customers to access key information easily
Improve the online visibility of communal bins for waste and recycling services and update information in a timely manner

9. Improved engagement and enforcement
Behavioural change campaign to foster greater resident responsibility
Increased engagement with residents in communal areas
Creation of dedicated Waste Enforcement/Compliance team
Better use of legal tools and powers

10. Investment in Staff
Re-scoping job roles to place more supervision at the front line
More regular briefings/toolbox talks with staff
Better dialogue with frontline staff to identify root cause of persistent problems
Invest in training for staff (e.g. LGV up-skilling, health and safety matters and working practices)
Ensure that equipment and uniform is fit for purpose and always being properly employed

11. Investment in Vehicles
Major commitment to vehicle replacement and procurement over the past 18 months
Aiming to have whole fleet of reliable vehicles (2 years old or less) by the end of 2016/17
Four new side-loading vehicles arrive by June 2016
Increased capacity food waste vehicles to assist service delivery to customers

12. Investment in Depots
Depot rationalisation project approved by Council in February 2016
New waste collection depots and transfer stations at Seafield (East) and Bankhead (West)
Food waste facility at Millerhill to be operational by March 2016
Residual waste facility at Millerhill on target to be operational for start of 2018.

13. Summary
Acknowledgement from the service that improvements need to be made
Clear plan to improve the service over the medium term
Sense of urgency to deliver improved customer service in the short term (e.g. reduce missed collections and repeat missed collections)
Aim to make the service one where our residents are satisfied and our staff feel proud of their role

14. Immediate actions
Introduction of settled crews on residual, DMR and food collections
Focus on repeat missed collections and missed assisted collections to identify root cause and update route information
Procurement of in-cab routing system
Improve quality of information provided to customers

15. Improvements to date
Significant reductions in missed individual residual, food, DMR and glass collections.
Introduction of settled crews on these streams has had a positive impact
Increased resident satisfaction in 2015 EPS (increase from 62% to 70%) but much more work to do
Increased recycling rate in 15/16 (increase from 39.1% to 42%)

16. Total Missed Bins

17. Missed Bins by Stream

18. Areas of concern
Garden waste missed collections – reliance on temporary and agency staff
Side-loading communal collections – accumulations of side waste and bulky items
Wheeled communal collections – formalising collection points, reducing access problems and maintaining reliability

19. Questions?