2026

RSC1513 - Use of Split Body Tippers for recycling segregation - 150526

A member authority is currently exploring options to enable the segregation of residual waste and recyclable materials collected by their street cleansing teams who use tipper vehicles, to support the Council’s waste recycling targets.
They have investigated the potential for retrofitting split body or split back configurations but are encountering challenges around vehicle weight distribution, payload capacity, and operational safety.
 They would welcome insight from any Local Authorities that are currently:
• Segregating materials at the point of street cleansing collection, and
•Doing so using tipper vehicles (with or without split bodies)
In particular, they are keen to understand:
•Whether split body tippers are in use and, if so, how weight and balance issues have been addressed
• Alternative approaches (e.g. separate runs, different vehicle types, on street sorting, transfer station segregation)
•Operational implications, costs, and workforce considerations
• Any lessons learned or pitfalls to avoid
 
RSC1512 - Litter picking on areas of National Highway - 150526

A member authority is interested in how other authorities litter pick areas of National Highway. 
They are responsible for sections of the A1 through Gateshead and are having to put in a nightshift. 
However there has been occasion where they have observed Highway Maintenance crews out on the other roads without any traffic management and on dayshift.
They would be interested in hearing from other authorities on approaches taken on dealing with areas of national highway you are responsible for. 
Any examples, guidance, or summaries of common approaches would be extremely helpful.
 
RSC1511 - Modern Apprentices within Waste Services - 190526

A local authority is exploring the potential to introduce Modern Apprenticeships within Waste Services and would welcome insight from any APSE members with direct experience.
If your service has employed a Modern Apprentice (particularly within Waste, Cleansing, Recycling, or Environmental Services), your feedback is appreciated on the following:
 Experience and Scope
1. Have you employed one or more Modern Apprentices within waste or resource management services?
2. What roles or duties were apprentices involved in (operational, supervisory, technical, admin, data/education, etc.)?
Benefits and Outcomes
3. What benefits have you seen from employing a Modern Apprentice?
- skills development?
- workforce succesion planning?
- staff engagement or morale?
- service improvement or innovation?
4. Have any apprentices progressed into permanent roles within your service?
5. Did the apprenticeship help address skills gaps or support future supervisory/management capacity?
Support and Resources
7. What level of management or mentoring input was required day-to-day?
8. How did you balance operational demands with study/release time?
9. Did you receive adequate support from the training provider and external partners?
Challenges and Pitfalls
10. What challenges or pitfalls have you encountered?
- time pressures?
- productivity impacts?
- apprentice readiness or retention?
- qualification relevance to operational realities?
11. Were there any unexpected costs or resource pressures?
12. Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting again?
Advice and Lessons Learned 
13. What advice would you give to services considering taking on a Modern Apprentice?
14. Are there particular roles, environments, or team strucutres where apprenticeships work best?
15. Would you recommend this route to other waste services, and why/why not?

RSC1510 - Taking powers from DVLA to remove untaxed vehicles - 140426

A member authority would like to ask other councils about your experiences with taking on powers from the DVLA to remove untaxed vehicles. They are interested in your experiences in having these powers and applying them.

1. How long have you had these powers?
2. How much use do you make of them? ie how many reports are you receiving per year, and how many lifts take place (approximately)
3. What are the overall financial consequences of having and using the powers? Does it create a deficit, surplus or cost neutral?
4. Would you recommend other councils to follow this route?
5. If yes, any useful advice you could offer? 6. If no, why not?

RSC1509 - Leaf blowing alongside roadsweeping - 160426

A local authority for large roadsweeping operations, is currently using two men per vehicle. A driver, and a second man out with the vehicle using a leafblower to blow detritus from the path and kerbside in front of the sweeper to enable collection. They have historically securely attached the leafblower to the external of the roadsweeper but have since been advised they must stop this practice. As there is now no option to carry the leafblower within or outwith the sweeper, we must use a second vehicle to transport the second man and leafblower. We would like to hear how other local authorities manage this work. In particular:
 
1. Do other local authorities manage their road sweeping operations in a similar way? Driver and second man. If not, can you pleasae describe your process?
2. If using a second man, is a leaf blower used? If so, how is it transported?
3. If leaf blowers are used, are they electric or fuelled? Is fuel transported by flamvault?
 
Please share any other information that you think would be useful.

RSC1508 - Garden waste payment methods / sack alternatives to garden waste bins for smaller gardens - 310326

A member authority is primarily interested in the experiences of other councils’ regarding Garden Waste Permits.  
Specifically, they would like to know about:
Payment Methods:  
What payment methods do you offer (eg direct debit, reoccurring credit/debit cards)?    
Your experiences of setting these up and any administrative challenges they have faced in managing the ongoing process. 
Small Gardens:
Do you offer garden waste sacks, as an alternative for residents with smaller gardens or restricted access?  
If so, how does the process work?  
Have you experienced any loss of income due to residents opting for a cheaper sack option from standard wheelie bins.
 

RSC1507 - Products to cover spillages - 090426

A member authority currently utilises basalt dust for the clearance of road surface spillages (oil, fuel, and unknown liquids). They are seeking to benchmark their current practice against other local authorities to identify more cost-effective, high-performance, or environmentally sustainable alternatives.
 
While basalt dust provides effective grit and initial absorption, they are evaluating it against the following criteria:
⦁    Absorption Ratio: The volume of dust required versus the volume of liquid absorbed.
⦁    Disposal Costs: Increasing landfill/waste processing costs for heavy, saturated mineral dust.
⦁    Cleanup Speed: The time taken to restore "dry" road friction and reopen lanes.
⦁    Identified Alternatives for Comparison
They are interested to know if any other local authorities have transitioned to any of the following:
⦁    Bio-Remedial Digesters: (e.g., Fuel Spill Digester as trailed by Essex County Council). These use bacteria to "eat" the hydrocarbon, often allowing for faster road reopening and reducing the need for physical uplift and disposal.
⦁    Cellulose-Based Absorbents: Lightweight, recycled organic fibres (wood/paper) that often have a significantly higher absorption to weight ratio than mineral dust, potentially lowering disposal costs.
⦁    Hydrophobic Synthetic Granules: Materials that absorb hydrocarbons while repelling water, remaining effective during wet weather incidents where basalt dust may become "sludge-like."
⦁    Specialist Clay/Silica Concentrates: High-porosity minerals (like Fuller’s Earth or treated silica) that require a smaller footprint of material per spillage.
We would appreciate any response regarding:
⦁    What primary material do you use for highway oil/fuel spills?
⦁    Have you conducted any cost-benefit analysis on switching from traditional mineral dusts (basalt/sand) to modern absorbents?
⦁    Do you use "leave-on-site" bio-remedial products, or is all material swept and collected?
 

RSC1506 - Food Waste Disposal Costs - 070426

A member authority would like to see a (proposed) cost per tonne from April 1st 2026 for food waste disposal.

RSC1505 - Waste presentation enforcement  - 230326

A member authority is interested in knowing in cases where residential or household waste is deposited on the public highway and evidence is found (e.g. a black bag with a letter, parcel packaging, or addressed document) linking the waste to a specific resident, how does your authority deal with the offence?
⦁    What legislation are you relying on to take enforcement action (for example under environmental protection or other legislation)?
⦁    Do you issue a Fixed Penalty Notice or pursue prosecution, and if so under which section of legislation?
⦁    What level of evidence do you require before taking action against the resident?
 

RSC1504 - Chewing gum bin trials - 270326

A local authority is keen to hear from other member authorities that have trialled chewing gum bins and if so, would be grateful of any information on their success? 

RSC1503 - Job descriptions for specific waste and recycling roles - 190326

A member authority would like to see some examples of job descriptions for roles whose responsibilities include:
⦁    A Job description for someone whose responsibility includes managing "Extended producer responsibilities” (EPR)
⦁    A job description for a contaminated land specialist, with strong links to landfill management and sustainability.
 

RSC1502- Approaches to moving obstructing vehicles for gully cleansing - 030326

A member authority is reviewing how they handle situations where parked or “nuisance” vehicles prevent access to gullies during scheduled cleansing and what actions authorities may take to allow cleansing to take place.

Could you please share examples, case studies, or contacts covering the points below?

1) Processes and powers- What formal mechanisms are used (e.g., bay suspensions, advance parking restrictions, TTRO/TTRNs, tow-away/civil enforcement partnerships)?- Who leads the process operationally (Highways vs. Parking/Civil Enforcement) and how is coordination managed?

2) Notice & communications- Typical lead-in times and notice periods before works.- Methods and templates for resident/business communications (letters, postcards, door knocking, SMS/email alerts, social media, VMS/advanced warning signs), including standard wording if available.

3) On-the-day arrangements- Use of temporary traffic management, cone lines, marshals, or dedicated removal teams.- Criteria for deciding whether to re-programme the visit vs. attempt removal.

4) Costs & recovery- Charging or cost-recovery models (e.g., internal recharges with Parking Services, fees to vehicle owners, or absorbed programme costs).

5) Outcomes & risk- Measured impact on completion rates, re-visit volumes, complaints, or claims.- Known risks, mitigations, and any lessons learned.

If there are authorities who operate an effective removal/tow-away approach specifically for planned maintenance (as opposed to events or emergency works), they would like to hear from you and are happy to reciprocate by sharing their baseline data and constraints.

RSC1501 - Insurance for local authorities responsible for waste movement - 180326

A local authority would like to know from others responsible for the movement of waste:

1. Can you please provide the name of your insurance provider for vehicles and premises?

2. Has your insurance provider required you to install Fire Detection or Fire Suppression Systems on mobile plant used for loading waste?

RSC1500 - Cost of food waste service - 030226

A member authority is reviewing their new food waste collection service. They would like to hear from other authorities who are launching a new food waste collection service and would like to know:

• Are you launching a stand-alone food waste collections service? (separate food spec lorries and crews) • How many lorries / crews will you be operating and across what household count

• Is your service in house or through a service provider

• What is the projected annual cost of this new service?

RSC1499 - Rotopress refuse collection vehicles - 210126

A member authority is in the process of replacing their refuse fleet and have been asked to explore rotopress refuse collection vehicles as replacements for some of their standard refuse collection vehicles.

1.  Do any member authorities operate rotopress refuse collection vehicles?

2. And, if so:

a. How many and what percentage of the fleet?

b. Are they used for specific rounds e.g. green waste, food waste, etc.?

c. How do they perform vs standard vehicles from a maintenance, cost of operation, downtime, etc. perspective?

RSC1498 - Incidents of 240ltr bins being ejected from bin lifting equipment  - 070126

A member authority has recently experienced several incidents where 240-litre wheeled bins have been ejected from the bin lifting equipment during collection operations, resulting in injuries to employees.

This authority is therefore keen to understand whether other authorities have encountered similar issues and, if so, what measures or solutions have been implemented to prevent such occurrences. Also any insights, experiences, or best practices you can share would be greatly appreciated as this local authority looks to review their operational safety protocols.

RSC1497 - Street litter bins and dealing with graffiti and stickers - 120126

A member local authority is interested to establish how other local authorities are responding to street litter bins being covered in graffiti and stickers. They would be grateful if you could complete this short survey below, with the collated report being shared with those providing a response.
Thank you in advance for your time in relation to the short survey, please click here to complete and submit.
 

RSC1496 - Managing mechanical sweeping fleets in large city councils - 120126

A member authority is keen to understand how other large city councils manage their mechanical sweeping fleets in neighbourhoods. Specifically:

1. How many sweepers do you have in these fleets and their make/ model?

2. What telematics systems are used to monitor output and productivity?

3. What is the annual operating costs for the sweeping service?

4. What types of brushes are used to manage weed growth in light of reduced glyphosate use?

Any relevant case studies or references would be greatly appreciated.

RSC1495 - Re-using recycling collection trolleys - 120126

A member local authority in Scotland will begin phasing out their current collection model - recycling trolley - in May 2026. They would like to reach out to those operating a straight/ IPL recycling trolley system and who therefore may be interested in re-using the recycling trolleys or particular parts?
If your authority would potentially be interested in please let APSE know.