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Pioneering new recycling vehicle on trial in Sedgemoor
A pioneering recycling collection vehicle started work this week on trial rounds in Sedgemoor. The newly available design allows collections of paper, glass, cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, food waste and other materials on the same vehicle in a single pass, with most loaded separately so that no further sorting is required. Previously at least two vehicles have been needed to collect this range of materials for recycling.
Councillor Stuart Kingham, Sedgemoor District Council Portfolio Holder and Somerset Waste Board Member, said: “As part of our SORT IT PLUS trials, we are the first area of the country to test this vehicle design for such a wide variety of materials including plastic bottles, cardboard and food waste. Following the success of the trials since last May, we have budgeted to roll-out SORT IT PLUS collections throughout Sedgemoor over the next three years. Testing the new vehicle over the next month will enable us to confirm what frequency of collection can be provided for plastic bottles and cardboard.”
The four trial rounds in Sedgemoor are located at:
- Axbridge;
- Burnham on Sea (Priory Gardens, Steart Avenue, Lundy Drive areas);
- Catcott, Cossington and Edington;
- East Brent, Eastertown and Lympsham.
Newsletters have been distributed to all households on the trial rounds, to inform them of on-going collection arrangements and to thank them for the enthusiastic and valuable support they have given to the SORT IT PLUS trials since last May.
Currently fortnightly recycling collections for paper, glass, cans, foil, clothing, shoes and car batteries and weekly refuse collections are provided throughout Sedgemoor. SORT IT PLUS adds recycling for plastic bottles and cardboard together with weekly food waste collections and introduces fortnightly collections of refuse, with wheeled bins provided to households that are suitable for these.
In the trial areas, SORT IT PLUS has led to recycling rates more than doubling to over 50% and refuse levels falling by half.
For more information on recycling and waste in Somerset visit: www.somersetwaste.gov.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Photo attached shows Councillor Stuart Kingham, Sedgemoor District Council Portfolio Holder and Somerset Waste Board Member, and Martin Jones of May Gurney, Somerset Waste Partnership’s collection contractor with the new single pass recycling collection vehicle.
Innovative features of the new single pass recycling collection vehicle include a mechanism to lift plastic bottles and cans to an internal upper storage compartment, which sits above a lower tier of stillages for other recyclables, and a rear compartment that can compress cardboard and allow it to be lifted to an upper level.
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.
03 April 2009
For further details contact Mark Blaker
01823 625714
Email: Mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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