Council sets new recycling targets
| July 4, 2012 | Filled under East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Environment |
NEW RECYCLING and waste prevention targets have been agreed following consultation with East Riding’s residents. This will see East Riding Council attempting to recycle 65 per cent of household waste by 2021. Hull City Council’s target in the same period is 60 per cent.
The cabinet of East Riding of Yorkshire Council yesterday approved the targets after a public review of the Joint Sustainable Waste Management Strategy in which the council is a partner with Hull City Council.
Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning, said: “It is staggering what our residents have achieved over the past five years. When the recycling target of 45 per cent of all household waste was set back in 2006 it seemed an impossible task but it has been achieved.
“While this strategy is a council document, it is our residents who are driving it forward, keeping us focussed and ensuring we respond to their expectations.”
The new targets for the East Riding include:
- A recycling target of 62 per cent by 2015/16 and 65 per cent by 2020/21
- A landfill diversion target of 85 per cent by 2015/16 and 90 per cent by 2020/21
- Having in place waste contracts for the processing of waste, the provision of recycling centres and waste transfer facilities up to 2020/21
- A reduction in the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill to 15 per cent of the 1995 level by 2020/21
- An increase in the recycling rate of the council’s internal waste to 65 per cent by 2020/21
- Customer satisfaction levels of 90 per cent for its’ waste management services, and a performance within the top 10 per cent of similar waste management systems
- Reduced CO2 emissions relating to waste management services by 2 per cent to 3 per cent per year.
The council hopes that meeting these targets will help it reduce the financial impact for Council Tax payers of the increasing cost of landfill tax – currently, £64 on every tonne sent to landfill (in 2011\12: £54 on every tonne and in 2011\10: £48).
Between March and April this year, the two councils invited residents to have their say on these targets and on the way waste is managed through to 2020.
The consultation involved answering a series of questions based on the review of the Strategy. There were almost 300 responses, with 93 per cent of those responding supporting the Councils’ plans and future targets for managing wastes. A minority suggested the targets should be even more ambitious.
More than 60 per cent addressed the frequency of the bin collections with a general preference for reducing those for the green bins and increasing the blue bin collections particularly in the East Riding.
Eight per cent of responses included requests for improved education about recycling. Others suggested:
- collections for nappies, cooking oils and fats
- recycling facilities for clothing and shoes
- asking residents to put out their bins only when they are full
- more action on littering and fly tipping
- Residents also suggested that the Councils should place more emphasis on waste prevention and minimisation.
In May, the East Riding’s recycling rate was 59 per cent with a rate of 67 per cent in the trial areas for the fortnightly collections of the blue, brown and green bins.
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