Greater Manchester Waste

did you know?


		Every year, 8 billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets and shops. This is equivalent to over 130 bags for every person in the UK. These will take up to 450 years to degrade.

		A forest as big as Wales is needed every year to supply all the paper for the UK.

		The average person throws away 74kgs of organic waste a year, equivalent to 1077 banana skins.

		3.2 billion aluminium cans are still going into landfill (approximately 50,000 tonnes), equivalent to burying the Titanic every year.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a general right of access to recorded information held by public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on public authorities.

As a Local Authority Waste Disposal Company GMW is obliged by law to comply with the Act and publishes the company's approved Publication Scheme below.

The Publication Scheme represents a commitment by GMW to routinely publish certain information and the scheme will be regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of applicants.

There are certain categories of information which are covered by exemptions under the Act and do not have to be made available by GMW, such as documents which it is necessary to withhold in order to protect legitimate confidential information. Further examples are detailed in section 5 of the Publication Scheme.

The Publication Scheme has been designed to highlight information and publications that are currently made available by GMW and sets out:

• the classes of information which GMW publishes or intends to publish;

• the manner in which the information is or will be published (for example, by hard copies, video tape or via the internet); and

• whether the information is available to the public free of charge or whether any charges will be applicable;

GMW is committed to making as much information as possible available via this web site. Please follow the links where indicated in the table below to find more information on these pages.

Download the full freedom of information act (PDF)

Download the full freedom of information act (word doc)

Classes of Information
Class	Details	Description	Source(s)	Suggested cost
General Information	Company contact details	Information on how to contact the company	Web site	Free
	Company information	General information about the company	Web site, leaflets, video	Free/Charge
Operations	Company services	Information about the company's services	Web site, leaflets	Free/Charge
	Service information	Location of company sites	Web site	Free
		Opening times of company sites	Web site	Free
Management*	Business planning	Corporate vision and mission statement	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		Business plan - general statements	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
	Company structure	Information on company structure	Web site	Free
Policies & Procedures	Company policies	Equal opportunities policy	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		Recruitment & selection policy	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		Training policy	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		IT policy	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		Health & safety policy	Web site	Free/Charge
		Environmental policy	Web site	Free/Charge
		Procurement procedure	Hard copy	Charge
		Quality Management policy	Web site	Free/Charge
Performance	Annual accounts	Annual audited accounts	Web site, hard copy	Free/Charge
Environment, Quality and H&S	Environmental management system	Certificate(s) of EMS accreditation	Hard copy	Free
		Site licences	Hard copy	Charge
		Working plans	Hard copy	Charge
		Planning permissions	Hard copy	Charge
		Consents to discharge	Hard copy	Charge
		Exemptions	Hard copy	Charge
		Work instructions	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		EMS manual	Hard copy	Charge
	Quality management system	Certificate(s) of QMS accreditation	Hard copy	Charge
		Work instructions	Hard copy	Charge
		Quality manual	Hard copy	Charge
	Health & Safety	H&S guidance booklets/leaflets	Leaflets, booklets	Charge
		Safe work instructions	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
Communications**	Communication strategy	Information on how to make a request for information	Web site	Free
		Information on how requests for information are handled	Hard copy, electronic	Free/Charge
		Information on requesting information under the FoI Act	Web site, hard copy	Free/Charge
		Information on the company's publication scheme	Web site, hard copy	Free/Charge
	Complaints procedure	Information on how to make a complaint	Web site	Free
	Press releases	Company press releases	Hard copy, web site	Charge
		Press cuttings	Hard copy	Charge
	PR/community liaison	Information on company involvement in the local community	Leaflets, web site	Free
* To add when completed GMW CSR statement
** To add when completed GMW annual report

Complaints Procedure

At Greater Manchester Waste Group (GMW) we are committed to providing a reliable information service and high customer service standards. However, even the best organisation can get things wrong from time to time. We will try to resolve any problems as quickly and clearly as possible. Hearing from you will help us to improve further our communication strategy.

If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from our company either in the request for material or a personal grievance, or have not received a response within 20 working days of receipt of your original request for information, you should in the first instance write to GMW ( click on the link).

In order for us to deal with the complaint as quickly and reliably as possible please be specific with your problem. If your complaint is related to a particular site or person and you know the date or time that the problem occurred or the name of the individual please mention them in your letter or email. If your complaint relates to an unsatisfactory response to your request for material under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or you were refused information that has been classed as sensitive we will explain what we have done and why. If we cannot deal with your complaint immediately, we will acknowledge receipt of your communication within two working days. We will write to you with a full reply within 20 working days of receiving your complaint and if we are unable to do this we will write to you to explain why and when you will get a full reply.

If you are still unhappy, you can then ask for your complaint to be reviewed by a member of senior management who has not been involved with your request and you will be advised of the outcome.

For complaints relating to the FOIA you may seek an independent review from the Information Commissioner. Requests for a review by the Information Commissioner should be made in writing to:

The Information Commissioners office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

T: 01625 545 700 f: 01625 525 510 e: data@dataprotection.gov.uk
www.ico.gov.uk