CHESTER has again comes out on top of the rubbish heap.
The city council has yet again reached record recycling figures, showing residents do not waste not, want not.
Chester has successfully managed to meet recycling targets set by the Government and the EU for local councils for several years. 2003 saw a target of 23 per cent and a recorded figure of 26 per cent, the council then reached 27 per cent in 2004 and this year has topped an amazing 28 per cent recycling rate.
Cllr Rob Jordan, cabinet member for the environment, said: “It’s great we are managing to increase recycling rates every year, especially as the waste households are producing continues to rise by a huge three per cent year-on-year.”
Chester has just completed its first month of a new battery recycling home collection scheme. A total of 885kg were collected in the special green container that prevents any liquid escaping.
From April to June this year 300 tonnes more glass was collected than last year in the same period and 200 tonnes more paper. Chester council is supported by its recycling partner UPM Shotton, which provides bring banks for paper, and uses recovered magazines, catalogues, junk mail and newspapers, as well as those from the kerbside scheme to turn back into newsprint in its nearby Deeside mill.
Martin Green from UPM Shotton said: “We’re keen to up the recycling rates in the local area as we don’t have to transport the recovered paper very far and we can turn it back into newsprint to print on within just a few days.
“In order to help Chester improve its recycling rates, we’ve invested £100,000 into an education pack which has been rolled out across Cheshire schools. With a video fronted by TV star Vernon Kay and a CDRom with information and playstation style recycling games it’s proved a real hit in the classroom and we think this has had a huge role to play in the increased recycling rates shown from April to June.
“We are encouraging schools to use the recycling pack in lessons when kids get back to school in September to ensure we continue to educate the next generation not to be a throwaway society.”
Chester’s kerbside scheme is one of the most comprehensive in the company. Where most only have access to paper collection on the doorstep, 95 per cent of Chester residents can recycle paper, textiles, cans, plastic, cardboard, foil, books, tins, cans, plastics, yellow pages, garden waste and some can also recycle glass.
UPM Shotton is part of the UPM-Kymmene Group, Europe’s biggest recycler of newspapers and magazines. It recycles 700,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to 95,000 double decker buses. |
Source: chesternow.co.uk |
|
