Recycling bins to be rolled out

From the archive, first published Tuesday 5th Dec 2006.

Thousands more homes are to be included in Bradford's latest green scheme following huge rises in the rates of recycling.

Since August, 26,000 households in Wyke, Low Moor, Wibsey and Queensbury have been able to recycle paper, glass and cans in one bin.

And it has led to glass and can recycling rising by 87 per cent and paper by 30 per cent there.

Now Bradford Council is doubling the size of the scheme, extending it to Eccleshill, Idle, Thorpe Edge and Wrose.

It will involve placing a special insert into wheelie bins, dividing them into sections.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the executive member for environment and culture, said: "The recycling insert scheme has proved popular because it allows residents to recycle a range of materials without the need for separate bins.

"The Council looks set to achieve its recycling target of 21 per cent of household waste this year, which is encouraging, meaning even less waste is going to landfill.

"But it still means the Council has to send the other 79 per cent of this waste to landfill.

"The Council is committed to encouraging residents to reduce, recycle and reuse their waste and we cannot be complacent. We still have a long way to go."

In order to cope with the new inserts a specialist vehicle has been bought and five more are on order.

Last year Bradford recycled 19 per cent of its waste. This was up on the previous year but still short of the Government target of 24 per cent.

The Council's executive is to consider waste disposal options for the district next week including building a plant large enough to cope with any future increase. Calderdale Council would pay to use spare capacity at the plant until 2017 but it is not due to be built until 2010. Bradford Council needs to slash the amount of waste sent to landfill by 2020 or face heavy fines.

e-mail: jo.winrow@bradford.newsquest.co.uk