City turning around recycling rates

Recycling - on the increase

28 December 2007 11:00

The people of Norwich were today hailed for finally embracing green living after the city's traditionally poor recycling rates soared.

New figures released by Norwich City Council show it has collected 7,500 tonnes of rubbish to be recycled since April this year, pushing its overall recycling rate from 18.4pc in April to nearly 25per cent.

This has now put the authority way-ahead of its target to reach 20pc for recycling by March 2008.

The rocketing rates have today been put down to people being more “recycling savvy” and a host of new initiatives in the city, including the controversial fortnightly bin collections, rolled out in certain parts of the city earlier this year .

Today Steve Morphew, leader of the city council, said: “People wanted to prioritise recycling because they were ashamed of Norwich's record and we've really turned it around.

“I would like to thank all the people of Norwich for their co-operation and for making all of this possible and call on them to re-double their efforts in the New Year.”

Two years ago, the council's recycling rates were as low as 14.3pc and the authority was singled out as having one of the worst records in the country.

But since then several new green initiatives have been launched, including mini-recycling banks in prime locations in the city, trialled garden waste collections, awareness events with the public and schools and, in October, alternate weekly collections (AWC) in some parts of the city.

This has helped push recycling rates up from 21.6pc between July to September to 24.7pc in October. The pilot scheme of garden waste collections in Crome and Eaton wards has seen 400 tonnes of garden waste collected within six months from April.

The city council said today that these initiatives, and the co-operation of the public, were helping it move towards its long term targets of recycling 32pc of waste by 2010 and being among the best councils in the country for recycling by 2012.

Rosalind Wright, a Liberal Democrat member of the council's waste working party, said: “These figures just go to show that alternate weekly collections really are working here.

“A big thank you to all those residents and staff involved for their corporation and support. These figures show that people are thinking more about how they are managing their waste, and that's ultimately what it's all about.”

Alternate weekly collections enable families to recycle plastic bottles, paper and card, tins and cans in blue wheelie bins and glass in green boxes.

However, when they were introduced it caused controversy amongst some people who feared that if their bin bags were not collected every week it could lead to an increase in germs and rats.

The new brightly coloured bins are already a familiar sight in the south and west of the city and the north and east of Norwich will be the next to get the new service in May/June 2008.

Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-ordinator, said: “It is great news that we have reached nearly 25pc already, with only one quarter of the city on the new collection scheme.

“Once the majority of the city has access to the blue wheelie bins or communal bins for flats, and the addition of plastic bottles recycling, that rate should increase much more.”

Norwich City Council is also hoping to further boost the city's recycling rates in 2008 by offering its garden waste collection service to more people across the city from April.

If you have any enquiries regarding waste or recycling in Norwich please call the council on 01603 212212 or email rst@norwich.gov.uk.

For an in-depth report into the city's recycling turn-around and to find out what the public thinks about fortnightly collections see tomorrow's Evening News.

Have you got a story about green issues? Call Evening News reporter Kate Scotter on 01603 772326 or email kate.scotter@archant.co.uk.

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