Stratford District residents have helped make the new recycling service a success since its introduction in August as recycling rates continue to rise.
The Council's recycling rates have risen to 56% compared to the 43% recorded for the year 2007/08. This improved performance has increased the year to date figure since April this year to 51%. Importantly, this means that less waste is going to landfill which is one of the prime objectives of the new arrangements.
"I want to thank residents throughout the District for their contribution towards this. It's been a real team effort all round. I am aware though that there are still some teething problems with the new service that have caused irritation and frustration to some residents. These are being closely monitored by Officers and the Contractors and are being ironed out," says Cllr Simon Jackson, Environment Portfolio Holder.
"But in the context of all the changes introduced to 53,000 households, requiring 100,000 collections to be made every week, it appears from the figures that the majority of residents have adapted to the new arrangements positively and the Council very much appreciates their co-operation in this.
"Unfortunately recycling performance will be affected by the temporary suspension of the green garden waste from November through to April. However with the addition of kitchen waste to the garden waste collection service from April next year we can expect to provide a full years recycling rate in the region of 60%."
The District's dry recycling is currently being delivered into a site at Ettington where a new Materials Recycling Facility is being built. The plant is due to be completed by April 2009 and until then the material is being transported to an equivalent plant in Aldridge, Birmingham. It is then sorted into the different materials and sold back into the UK recycling market.
A reminder of the new recycling scheme
The blue lidded bins for dry recycling are now established as part of the District Council's new recycling scheme which began in August 2008.
Items accepted for recycling in your blue lidded bin include:
* Paper
* Mixed Glass bottles and jars
* Food and Drink Cans
* Cardboard including Tetra Pak
* Plastic Bottles
* Aerosols
This blue lidded bin is collected every other week.
The UK produces over 434 million tones of waste each year, and with the rate that waste is generated could fill the Albert Hall within two hours (wasteonline.org.uk). Over 11% of all this waste is plastic, and the blue lidded bins provided throughout the District will ease the way in which you can recycle. If all cans in the UK were recycled we would need 14 million fewer dustbins and 275,000 tonnes of plastic is used every year which is about 15 million bottles per day.
