-
Cotswolds Website
-
Cotswolds Leisure
-
Shopping and Business
-
Cotswold History
-
Miscellaneous Information
-
Quick Links
Contact Us
[email protected]
Cotswold BlogThe Cotswold Blog is a collection of diary entries, news, gossip and other Cotswold related information.
Waste Service Redesign Proposals In CotswoldsThe weekly collection of food waste for composting is at the heart of proposals to increase recycling rates and reduce landfill waste in the Cotswolds.A report recommending wide-ranging changes to Cotswold District Council�s waste collection service will be considered by the Council's Cabinet next Thursday (11th October). If the plans are given the go-ahead by a meeting of the full Council on Tuesday, 16th October, the new service would be introduced in phases across the District from February 2008. The proposed changes would include:
Council Leader Cllr Lynden Stowe said: "We want an improved service and our residents have told us that they want the opportunity to recycle and compost much more of their waste. "We are already top of the recycling league in Gloucestershire with a combined recycling and composting rate of over 40%, but we must do even better because the county's landfill sites are filling up fast and are set to be completely full by 2016. The Government has set councils tough recycling targets and failure to meet them will mean financial penalties." Council officers estimate that the District's recycling/composting rate would increase to approaching 60% under the proposed new service. The report recommends that cooked and uncooked food waste, which makes up more than a fifth of all household waste in the Cotswolds by weight, should be collected weekly in new containers distributed to every home in the District. This material would then be taken, along with garden waste, to a special facility called an In Vessel Composter where it would be turned into useful compost. The report also proposes that householders opting to receive a weekly garden waste collection should be charged �30 per garden waste wheelie bin per year. Cllr Stowe added: "The Council has been involved in consultations for several months with residents over plans for the new waste service, both through the Cotswold News and through a Waste Forum. "We know from talking to people across the Cotswolds that they want to see more done to reduce waste and to increase recycling rates. However, they have also given us a clear message that they want any potentially 'smelly' waste to continue to be collected on a weekly basis. "Unlike changes introduced by many other councils, this proposal includes a weekly collection of food waste, which would be recycled into useful compost. "The introduction of charges for the collection of garden waste would help to pay for some of these improvements and ensure that only those residents who received a garden waste collection would pay for it. People would still have the option to compost at home, which is the best solution when dealing with garden waste." Under the proposals, in addition to the current fortnightly kerbside collection of paper, cans and glass, residents would also be able to put out card and cardboard for recycling in reusable bags issued by the Council. And the Council's contractor, SITA, would use smaller vehicles than its current fleet for the collection of recyclables. Any remaining non-recyclable waste would be collected fortnightly, either in Council-issued wheelie bins or in authorised Council-issued refuse sacks for those householders who could not accommodate a wheelie bin. Cllr Stowe added: "If councillors approve this new service, we would be collecting food waste, garden waste, paper, card, cardboard, cans and glass from people's homes. "That would leave very little in the way of non-recyclable waste, which is why a fortnightly collection of the rubbish sent to landfill should be more than adequate." If councillors approve the new service, every resident in the District would receive an information pack in October and detailed information about the changes would be included in the next edition of the Cotswold News, which is due to be delivered across the District from Monday, 5th November. A dedicated waste hotline has been set up on 01285 623123. Cotswold District Council's current kerbside waste and recycling collection service consists of:
Proposed new service, as set out in report to CDC's Cabinet meeting on 11th October, would consist of:
Decision-making timetable Thursday, 11th October: Waste Service redesign report goes to Cabinet Tuesday, 16th October: Full Council will vote on the report if it has been approved by Cabinet February 2008: If Full Council approves the report, CDC will start to roll out the new waste service. The planned roll-out would be in phases across the District and all residents should be on the new service within three or four months. Posted : 04/10/2007 10:28:26 PLEASE NOTE: This story has been archived and the information contained within it may no longer be correct.
To view the full Cotswold Blog, click here |
|||||
|
|
|
|