Moving to more recycling
A new improved recycling service will allow residents in Gloucester to send less rubbish to the local landfill site.
The new scheme will be introduced during the winter and will include the recycling of materials not previously collected such as kitchen food waste, mixed plastic bottles, and also small domestic batteries.
The city council’s target for the first full year of the new service is to reduce landfill by at least 25%, and achieve a recycling rate of at least 50%.
Around 20% of household rubbish is food waste that under the new scheme will be collected weekly.
In addition mixed plastic bottles will be added to the list of items that can be put into the kerbside ‘green boxes’, and the garden waste green bin service will be extended across the whole of the city – to homes where this is possible.
The moves were outlined in a report that was approved by the city council's cabinet in April 2009. Failure to meet stiff government recycling targets can mean severe financial penalties for local councils.
“Our innovative approach to recycling food waste on a weekly basis will reduce waste that goes into landfill"
Increased recycling will result in a drastic reduction in the amount of material needing to be placed in the grey-wheeled bin used for landfill waste. This small amount of non-recyclable materials will only need to be collected once a fortnight.
Councillor Stephen Morgan, cabinet member for the environment, commented: “Our innovative approach to recycling food waste on a weekly basis will reduce waste that goes into landfill.
“ It is not just from the point of view of protecting the environment – and that is a big enough incentive in its own right. But there are serious financial consequences for not meeting what are very demanding government targets.
“Local residents would have to pick up the bill for that.”
He added: “ By expanding the number of things that people can recycle we will drastically reduce the amount of rubbish that needs to go to landfill.
“I want to reassure everyone that by collecting their kitchen waste and other recyclables every week we will only need to collect waste that goes to landfill every other week. This will be great for the environment and is something that a modern 21st century city should be doing.”
Gloucestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, Stan Waddington also commented:
“I am delighted that the City Council is being so proactive in tackling landfill waste in this way. They will make a great contribution to the County target to reduce landfill waste.”
10 July 2009