Stratford-on-Avon District Council is Dreaming of a “Waste Free” Christmas in 2008

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is urging all residents to take full advantage of the recycling service during this Christmas.

The District Council would like to remind residents they can place further recyclable items in a cardboard box at the side of their blue bin for collection if their blue bin is full, rather than sending it to landfill.
 
The current economic climate is a having far-reaching effect on markets including that for recyclable goods. The District Council is committed to recycling all non-contaminated* recyclable waste whilst realising that the economic climate alters the market for such items. In this case, some of your recyclable items in your blue bin are currently being collecting and stored until the market improves enough to take them.

Residents have taken part in this new scheme whole-heartedly and this has meant that the District Councils dry recycling rates have almost doubled**, says Councillor Simon Jackson, Environment Portfolio Holder.

Christmas brings with it increased amounts of waste, but I would like to encourage residents to continue to recycle all waste that is accepted under the new scheme.

The District Councils commitment to increasing recycling means that this stored material will not be sent to landfill, but will be recycled when the market improves.

*Items classed as contaminated (those not included in the list of accepted recyclable items on the lid of blue bins) reduce the market value of all the recyclable waste collected, however so far residents have been vigilant with a contamination rate of approximately only 2%.

** Dry recycling figures have gone from a monthly average of 600 tonnes before the start of the new contract (which started in August 2008) to a monthly average of 1,200 since August 2008.