Norwich has reached its target of 32 per cent for recycling, almost two years ahead of the date set of 2010.
Norwich City Council has collected a massive amount of recycling from across the city since April this year. This total has seen the council’s recycling rate jump from 18.4 per cent in April 2007 to nearly 36.5per cent, in June 2008.
This leap means that Norwich City Council’s recycling rate has doubled since the introduction of the integrated waste strategy in early 2007.
But perhaps more important is the fact that the amount of waste sent to landfill has been slashed. Dropping from approximately 10,000 tonnes in quarter one 2007 (April-June), to around 8,000 tonnes in the same period this year. That’s a reduction of 20 per cent - which is amazing.
Cllr Brian Morrey, executive member for sustainable city development and a Labour member of the council’s waste working party, said: “I would like to say a big well done and thank you to everyone in the city who is recycling - every little really does help.
“Our new services are making recycling easier for people. The introduction of the blue bins and the garden waste scheme, have meant that people can recycle more form home, and I hope that people continue to take advantage of these as much as possible.”
Alternate weekly collections have been introduced to around half the city, with another 14,000 properties joining the scheme in November this year. The new service has extended the materials that can be collected from the kerbside, and also the volume.
Areas that have alternate weekly collections are able to recycle plastic bottles and metal aerosol cans from their homes, as well as paper and card, tins and cans, and glass.
Alternate weekly collections mean that people can recycle more from home in blue wheelie bins. Recycling rates are up from 20.7 per cent in quarter one of 2007 (April-June), to 36.5per cent in June 2008. The scheme started in the south and west of the city in October 2007, and was introduced in the north and east in June this year.
Cllr Rosalind Wright, the Liberal Democrat member of the council’s waste working party, said: "This is excellent news. The rapid improvement in the recycling rate and the amazing drop in landfill tonnage could not, however, have been achieved without the dedication of staff and the willingness of Norwich residents to get behind the schemes and adapt to considerable change."
Councils around the country who have introduced alternate weekly collections have an average 30per cent recycling rate, with all councils in the top ten running such services.
This is compared to an average of just 23 per cent for councils who have weekly collections.
Cllr Adrian Ramsay, leader of the Green Party city councillors and a member of the council’s waste working party, said: “It’s fantastic news that the recycling rate has increased so much, and it shows our potential after further improvements to the recycling service are made.
“The decrease in the amount sent to landfill means that the new services are starting to have an impact and I hope this improves further when the new facilities spread across the city.”
Another boost to the city’s opportunity to recycle comes in the form of garden waste. From April 2008 the council has been running a kerbside collection through the brown bin scheme.
The scheme has proved hugely successful already, collecting a massive 700 tonnes of garden waste for composting in that time.
Cllr John Fisher, the Conservative member of the council’s waste working party, said: “These figures show how committed Norwich residents are to grasping the recycling initiative. I congratulate and thank all residents for helping us achieve such good recycling figures and reduce Norwich's waste input to landfill.”
All of these initiatives are helping the council move towards its long term target of being among the best councils in the country for recycling in 2012.
Alternate weekly collections are being introduced by the council and contractors CityCare, to more homes across the city during this year. The north and east of Norwich have recently gone on to the scheme in June and another 14,000 households will join in October/November.
There is an ongoing programme of introducing communal bins for recycling and waste for flatted, or similar, areas. This will mean even more people across the city will have ability to recycle more from home.
Please keep a look out for further information that will be available shortly.
If you have any enquiries regarding waste or recycling in Norwich please call the council on 0844 980 3333 or email rst@norwich.gov.uk