LARAC presentationTAG Meeting 9th Oct 2009

Mark McAdoo (NI Regional representative)Cookstown District Council

What is LARAC?• Formed in 1985 to represent the emerging

voice of local government waste/recycling officers

• Full membership open to any local authority in the UK

• Currently 401 members (91% of local authorities with a waste function)

• N Ireland – 17 members (65%)

Who is involved?

• LARAC is run by an Executive of 20 volunteers employed by Local Authorities

• Comprising 6 National Representatives and• 12 Regional Representatives from the 3 devolved

administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the 9 Administrative regions of England

• 2 Co-opted members including the current Recycling Officer of the Year

• Within the Executive - 2 full time staff, 1 policy secondee and 2 part time officers for Conference and Training.

LARAC Mission

To provide quality representation

for local authority officers

on recycling and waste

management issues

LARAC Core Principles

• Waste generation must be stopped at source wherever possible – products should be designed for durability, repair and re-use

• Discarded materials should be collected to be recycled or composted

• Where recycling isn’t possible material should be processed so as to recover useful stable organic material and/or energy

• Use of landfill should be reduced to the absolute minimum

Aims and Objectives

• To inform and lobby key opinion formers and policy makers on LARAC members behalf

• To ensure that relevant and timely information is shared amongst LARAC members and that they are consulted on a regular basis

• To progress recycling and resource management in the UK through the actions and input of LARAC members

Engaging and Campaigning

• Represent Local Government views at meetings with government, industry and other bodies all over the country – over 130 times last year!

• Develop partnerships and policy alliances with other organisations

• We liaise with 50 external bodies representing local authority views

• Shape policy and legislation through advising government and industry (building relations with key policy makers)

• Providing informed and realistic viewpointsfor the media

Responding to Government and EU consultations on members behalf

• DEFRA – Revised Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice (Aug 09)

• H M Treasury – Modernising landfill tax legislation (July 09)

• BERR – Proposed revisions to the WEEE Directive (May 09)

• EU – Green Paper on Biowaste (Mar 09)

Developing Policy Positions

• Waste Minimisation• Recycling/Reuse• Composting• Residual Waste Treatment and Energy Recovery• Funding and Investment (including disposal)

Working to facilitate training provision

With:

• WRAP

• DEFRA – New and Emerging Technologies Training Programme

• Wastepack

• Middlesex and Huddersfield Universities

• Energy and Utility Skills

LARAC National and Regional Meetings

Example year 2008• 13th May LARAC Scotland Meeting• 14th May MRW Scotland Conference• 26th June LARAC East Meets

Waste Conference• 9th July LARAC/WLGA/WAG

Wales Conference• 16th–18th Sept RWM08• 11 November LARAC Members’ Day• 12th-13th December LARAC Conference

LARAC Annual Conference

Conference and Pre-Conference Members Day

• Pre-Conference Members Day

• Two day Conference

• Conference is CIWM training accredited for continuing professional development

• The LARAC Recycling Awards

• Wastepack Scholarship Programme

Information Provision

• Key aspect of the support provided is to:

- Provide an information service and networking service and

- Develop and disseminate good practice amongst our members

• Information services provided to members include the following:

Sponsored by

• EDITORIAL – Written by our Communications Officer

• CHAIR’S REPORT – Joy Blizzard

• POLICY – written by a member of the policy team

– Recent Policy Responses – feedback on responses made on members behalf

– Policy Question – set on a current issue by a member of the policy team

• NEWS

• INFORMATION EXCHANGE – link to the latest issues being discussed

• LIAISONS – Latest reports from the Exec on meetings attended on members behalf

• EVENTS

• VACANCIES

• Circulated on the first Wednesday of every month

www.larac.org.uk

New home page, regional sections etc.

Members Forum

The Loop

Issue 24 Issue 25

Summary - Membership Benefits• Policy responses to government

consultations• Discounts to courses and conferences• Monthly Email newsletter LARAC OnLine

and Quarterly Loop magazine• Free vacancy advertising on the LARAC

website• Network of information, support and

advice

A couple of examples of how confusing waste management can be............

•

For further information

• Visit www.larac.org.uk • Email larac@btinternet.com• Contact Colin Kirkby, Executive Officer

LARAC, PO Box 28 Knighton, LD8 2WA Tel: 01544 267860 or me…

• Mark McAdoo, Waste Manager/Senior Technical Officer, Cookstown District Council Tel: 8676 2205