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SORT IT PLUS votes herald major boost for Somerset recycling
SORT IT PLUS involves weekly collections of recycling and food waste and fortnightly refuse collections. Following the latest round of budget setting every district in Somerset is now, subject to final ratification, committed to its introduction. It improves on the SORT IT service operating in Mendip, South Somerset and Taunton Deane by adding weekly plastic bottle and cardboard recycling.
SORT IT PLUS is already being introduced in Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane, with over 25,000 homes now on the scheme and the rest set to join through 2010. Somerset Waste Partnership will develop schedules to add plastic bottles and cardboard collections throughout Mendip and South Somerset and further announcements will be made in the next few months.
West Somerset will see the biggest change. The introduction of weekly recycling and food waste collections should double recycling rates and halve the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Cllr Derek Yeomans, Chair of the Somerset Waste Board, says “This is very good news and partnership working at its best. Because we’re working together each individual district is getting their residents a better deal for introducing SORT IT PLUS. That means we can move quickly with improving collections, which in turn means we reduce both our landfill costs and environmental impact. County wide we’re recycling about 50% at the moment and that could rise to around 60% once the service is fully rolled out. Each percent increase means well over 5,000 tonnes of good, usable material is saved and recycled.”
Local people will receive a second recycling box and notice before any change to collections in their area. It is important not to put plastic bottles and cardboard out for collection with recycling until notification has been received.
“This is a big job,” explained Cllr Yeomans. “We’re extending services for around 200,000 households, so it won’t happen overnight, but we’re as keen as anyone to make good progress.”
SORT IT PLUS includes weekly recycling of food waste, paper, glass bottles and jars, food and drink cans, cardboard, plastic bottles, clothes and shoes and a fortnightly wheeled bin refuse service (households unsuitable for wheeled bins use refuse sacks). SORT IT, which does not include plastic bottles and cardboard, has been operating successfully in Mendip, South Somerset and Taunton Deane for five years. In recent trials of SORT IT PLUS 87% of survey responders rated the new service as ’better than previous arrangements’.
For more information on recycling and waste in Somerset, including advice on how you can reduce the amount you produce, visit 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.
Landfill disposal costs – With taxes it currently costs around £60 to dispose of a tonne of waste in landfill sites. Taxes on this are set to continue to rise in the next few years. Recycling also has a net cost but is now the more cost effective option for council tax payers.
Recycling Rates – Somerset currently has the seventh highest county wide recycling rate in England, based on 2008-9 figures, at 49%. The small county of Rutland is first with 52%. If Somerset achieves 60% we will have the highest recycling rate by some way based on those figures.
Households – All households suitable for the scheme will be included. Some, like flats, with nowhere to store materials will have different arrangements. Final numbers are likely to be around 46,000 in Mendip, Sedgemoor and Taunton Deane, 70,000 in South Somerset and 17,000 in West Somerset.
Media Contact:
For Press enquiries, including interview requests, please contact Mark Blaker, Senior Communications Officer on 01823 625714.
General Contact:
Customer Services - 01823 625700
08 March 2010
For further details contact Mark Blaker
01823 625714
Email: Mark.blaker@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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