With 40,000 tonnes of rubbish saved from going to landfill
Ealing’s recycling rates have hit an all time high, reaching an annual figure of 35% for the first time.
Ealing Council figures reveal that in 2008/09 more than 40,000 tonnes of rubbish has been saved from going straight to landfill, almost 7,000 tonnes more than last year.
The figures show that Ealing residents are now recycling more than ever. Local people recycled 26,628 tonnes through green boxes and recycling sites, an increase of 7% on the previous year, and 14,528 tonnes of organic waste, which is a massive 56% increase.
The introduction of household collections for mixed plastics has also contributed to the increase in recycling rates. In the past 12 months a total of 1,623 tonnes of plastics have been recycled, which is equivalent to the weight of more than 40 million plastic bottles. If each bottle were laid end to end the line of plastic would stretch from London to Hawaii.
The recent expansion of wood recycling at Acton re-use and recycling centres to include MDF and low quality timber has resulted in 112% more wood being saved from landfill. The improvements to garden waste collection schemes also have proved to be particularly successful. Collection of garden waste more than doubled in 2008/09, increasing by 109%.
Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet member for Environment and Street Services, said, “Residents have made a spectacular effort to recycle so much, but we want to see these levels continue to rise. As the weather is getting warmer people will especially benefit from using their food recycling bins to deter animals from getting into bin bags and prevent the food creating a smell."
June 30, 2009
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