Delight at rise in Ashfield recycling

Council bosses have hailed residents in Ashfield are a rise in recycling rates '“ but are introducing a charge for garden waste bins.
A charge has been introduced to residents for the brown garden waste bins.A charge has been introduced to residents for the brown garden waste bins.
A charge has been introduced to residents for the brown garden waste bins.

There has been an 11 per cent increase in overall recycling in the past 12 months, which means residents are now recycling 44 per cent of their rubbish – meaning 7,000 tonnes more waste a year has been recycled. Ashfield District Council, which control waste disposal in the district, said it is “leading the way with impressive recycling rates”.The council also said the increase in recycling came following the “introduction of 140-litre glass collection bins and residents of Ashfield embracing the importance of recycling”.Glass recycling increased by 25 per cent after the introduction of the new, blue, glass bins which replaced open boxes. Along with the introduction of the red-lidded general waste bins, which replaced the larger black bins, it has saved the council £700,000.Councillor Cheryl Butler, council leader, said: “I‘d like to thank the residents of Ashfield for their commitment to recycling and embracing the changes to the general waste bins. “The council is and remains committed to increasing recycling rates across the district. “Ashfield is just one of many councils across the country that have adopted lower capacity general waste bins as a way of helping ensure the environment is protected for future generations.”For two years, with the introduction of the red-lidded bins, the council was able to fund a free garden waste collection scheme with help from Nottinghamshire County Council. Now the two years are complete, a charge has been introduced to residents for the brown garden waste bins. It will costs £34 per season for one bin and £17 for each additional bin, if paid annually by a one-off payment.Despite the charge, the council says residents are signing up at a rate of 1,000 per week, which puts the council on track to achieve a target of 22,000 subscribers by July.Councillor Cathy Mason, portfolio holder for waste and environment said: “The council was able to provide garden waste collections free to residents for two years due to funding from the county council to coincide with the rollout of the 180-litre general waste bins. “The charges were always planned to be reintroduced after two years and we are pleased to see so many residents are continuing to subscribe to the service this year.”The council is working toward a target of 65 per cent recycling rate by 2030.