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Plastic and cardboard collections confirmed for Taunton Deane
Taunton Deane Borough Executive confirmed on July 15th that plastic and cardboard collections are to be phased in across Taunton Deane over the next two years.
SORT IT PLUS adds plastic bottles and cardboard to the award winning SORT IT kerbside collection service that has seen recycling rates in Taunton Deane increase dramatically in recent years to around 50%. Following extensive trials in the borough the decision has been taken to collect the new materials every week, using a brand new vehicle designed and built in Glastonbury.
Costs will be spread by phasing in the new service, with 5,200 households scheduled to be on SORT IT PLUS by the end of this year, and the rest phased in across the Borough within two years.
Councillor Tim Slattery, Taunton Deane Borough Council Environmental Services portfolio holder and Somerset Waste Board member, said: “Local people want this - nobody likes throwing perfectly good materials away when they can be recycled. I’m proud of this decision because it’s right for Taunton Deane and puts us firmly at the forefront of local authorities in the UK.”
The cost of providing new recycling containers in Taunton Deane will be part funded by a £125,000 Waste Infrastructure Grant from Somerset County Council, recognising the impact SORT IT PLUS will have on improving services in the county, so cutting costs for Taunton Deane.
The annual cost for providing the service in Taunton Deane will be £269,000, or around 11 pence per household per collection. This will reduce if other districts in Somerset join the service. Savings will be made with the removal of some recycling banks taking materials that will be collected at kerbside.
“Recycling banks contribute very little to the overall recycling effort and are expensive to keep up. It’s not fair to ask people to pay for the same service twice, so we’ll look to save money from them in order to introduce this better, more effective service.” Added Councillor Slattery.
For more information on recycling and waste in Somerset, including advice on how you can reduce the amount you produce, log on to www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
About Somerset Waste Partnership:
Somerset Waste Partnership manages waste and recycling services on behalf of Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset District Councils, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council.
Call In Period –Taunton Deane Borough Executive approved adoption of the scheme on the 15th July, subject to a five working day “call in” period. Subject to it not being called in for scrutiny, final implementation of the roll out will be confirmed at the end of that period.
What happens to the material collected? – 99% of materials collected for recycling in Somerset are recycled. Only items that should not have been included are rejected. Food waste is composted and supplied to local agriculture for use as a soil improver. Full details are on our End Use Register available to download from our website.
How will the new system be enforced? – The policy across Somerset is to emphasise education. Participating households will be sent a full information pack before the service starts. After that, if you put the wrong things out or the wrong materials in the wrong boxes the worst you can expect is those materials to be left behind with a note explaining why.
How quickly will the service roll out? – There are 48,000 households in Taunton Deane, some like flats, will not be included if they have nowhere to store the boxes. 2,800 households are already trialling the service and this will extend to 5,200 in November. The remaining households will be added over three years.
Call in period – This council decision is subject to a call in period.
16 July 2009
For further details contact Mark Blaker
01823 625714
Email: Mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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