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Mendip pioneers plastic bottle and cardboard recycling
Mendip residents in selected households enjoyed the chance to show what keen recyclers they are this week, when they became part of the Somerset Waste Partnership’s pioneering SORT IT PLUS trial waste collections.
SORT IT PLUS, for the first time, collects cardboard and plastic bottles from the selected residents, along with the other main materials for recycling (glass bottles and jars, paper, food and drink cans, aluminium foil, clothes, shoes and car batteries), together with separate food waste, while testing innovative new collection vehicle designs. In Mendip, the trial recycling collection vehicle has an innovative second level so it can collect heavier dry recyclables on the lower level and the bulky, lightweight cardboard and plastic bottles on the upper tier.
Councillor Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, portfolio holder for Mendip District Council and Chair of the Somerset Waste Partnership, joined a waste collection crew on a sheltered housing estate in Chilcompton to see the first collections for himself. The bulging sacks of recyclables already collected on the trial vehicle told their own story.
“It’s very rewarding to see people of all ages getting behind the trial and taking such a positive attitude towards recycling. During this trial we will be testing the new vehicles to see how efficient they are, as well as different service options in different areas. At the end of the year we’ll analyse results and take informed decisions. This is clearly something that’s close to the heart of the people of Somerset.”
For those involved there has been a lot of interest in the initiative and people are keen to get it right. Somerset Waste Partnership distributed information packs and an additional “green box” to all participating homes, and popular information road-shows were held last week for residents in the areas included.
The SORT IT PLUS trials will run until March 2009 and involve collection of cardboard and plastic bottles in addition to existing collection services, consisting of: -
• Weekly collections of food waste;
• Recycling collections for paper, glass, cans, foil, clothes, shoes and car batteries;
• Fortnightly collections for refuse;
• Optional charged composting collections for garden waste.
Householders in with questions about waste and recycling can contact Mendip District Council customer service centre on 01749 648 999.
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ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The Somerset Waste Partnership provides waste and recycling services on behalf of all local authorities in Somerset: Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset District Councils, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council.
2. There are also SORT IT PLUS trial rounds in Taunton Deane and Sedgemoor.
3. All residents of Mendip can currently recycle food waste, glass bottles and jars, paper, food and drink cans, aluminium foil, clothes, shoes and car batteries with their kerbside collections.
Photographs available.
1. Nigel Woollcombe-Adams helps collect plastic bottles on a sheltered housing estate in Chilcompton
Media Contact:
For enquires about the Somerset Waste Partnership, please contact:
Mark Blaker
Senior Communications Officer
01823 625714 or mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
20 May 2008
For further details contact Mark Blaker
01823 625714
Email: Mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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