Yorkshire Dales residents visit waste collection roadshows

HUNDREDS of residents across the Yorkshire Dales district of Richmondshire have attended a series of roadshows as the local council strives to meet government targets and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

More than 600 residents visited one of 18 roadshows held across the district to inform people about the important changes in the way waste is collected in Richmondshire.

From June, all of Richmondshire will have its waste collected in the same way, as every household in the district moves to alternate weekly collections (AWC) for refuse and recycling.

More than half of all households in the district are already on AWC, after the first roll-out in 2006. Since then, the district’s recycling rate has soared to more than 35 per cent, well above the target of 20 per cent.

With AWC, residents will receive:

• a grey bin for non-recyclable household waste,
• a green box for glass, cans, plastic bottles and aerosols,
• a green bin for garden waste,
• a blue bag for paper.

Collections will alternate weekly between non-recyclable and recyclable waste.

All residents moving to AWC for the first time will get a full information pack and calendar through their letterbox on the same day as they receive their new containers. Residents are asked not to use the new containers until the first collection day stated in the information pack.

Residents already on AWC will get a bin hanger informing them of their new collection day and about the new plastic bottle recycling service.

Councillor Tony Duff, Richmondshire District Council’s Member Champion for Waste, said: “I would like to thank the hundreds of residents who came along to our roadshows to see how AWC will work in practice.

“Council Officers were on hand to answer any questions, and I hope everyone who attended found it useful, including the elderly and disabled who had their problems answered.

“About half of the district is already on AWC and it has been a great success, so we are confident this increase to 100 per cent will boost our recycling rates even further.”

The Council has set up a page on its website about the changes, at www.richmondshire.gov.uk/recycling, and a helpline phone number – 01748 828777.

• PICTURE: (From left to right) Richmondshire District Council Waste Management Officer Julie-Ann Thompson, Recycling Assistant Jonathan Black, Recycling Officer Andrew Turner and Member Champion for Waste Councillor Tony Duff prepare for one of the AWC roadshows.