Alternate week collections see recycling rates rise
27/07/10
The amount of waste being recycled in Aberdeen has increased since the introduction of the alternate week waste collection system in May.
The council received thousands of requests from city residents who wanted extra recycling containers – black boxes for tins, glass and plastic bottles, white bags for paper and cardboard, and brown bins for garden and kitchen waste – in the weeks leading up to and following the introduction of the new service.
The containers are being provided free of charge to those who want to increase the amount of waste they are recycling and who live in areas which receive the kerbside recycling services.
The initial evidence suggests that the impact of the new services has improved the council's recycling rate – May saw the highest recycling rate ever recorded in the city at 32% and provisional figures for June show a further increase to 33% (both 3% higher than the figures for the same period last year – 2697.31 tonnes in May 2009 and 3243.42 in June 2009).
The alternate week service has been provided to roughly 70,000 city households and most have adapted extremely well to the change and embraced the opportunity to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill.
Housing and Environment Convener Councillor Aileen Malone said: "The move to alternate week waste collections was designed to play an integral and essential part in improving Aberdeen's recycling rates.
"Sending all of our rubbish to landfill is not an option. Not only is the financial cost of landfilling waste becoming increasingly prohibitive, the environmental costs are also unsustainable and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
"The city's residents are clearly recognising that and I am delighted to see that many are embracing the opportunity to do more for their environment by taking the simple step of recycling more of their household waste instead of simply dumping it in the black bin.
"Aberdeen City Council is spending £17million restoring the old Ness landfill site to bring that large and historically important piece of land back into public use.
"By working with city residents to improve the amount of waste recycled, we will cut the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill, save money and protect our environment."
Aberdeen City Council's waste management strategist Pete Lawrence said: "Monthly recycling rates can vary for a variety of reasons and drawing immediate conclusions can be misleading, but the figures drawn from the initial evidence, together with the high demand for extra recycling containers, is very promising."
The change in collection frequency, which only affects households with wheeled bins and a kerbside recycling service, is aimed at radically improving the city's recycling rates and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.
The new service encourages residents to think about what they throw out and if it could be recycled instead.
If you have any queries about the alternate week collection service or want advice about how you can recycle more of your rubbish, call the Waste Aware team on 08456 080919 or visit www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/wasteaware.
The Waste Aware team can also arrange for you to get extra recycling containers free of charge.