Conservatives push up City Recycling

At yesterday's Environment and Transport Scrutiny Panel meeting latest recycling figures and projected future recycling figures were reported on.

Last year the Council's Liberal Democract Administration suspended the roll out of the recycling bin in the City. This mean that Freemantle didn't receive its blue lidded bins until July this year.

Suspending the programme seriously put at risk Southampton achieving its recylcing targets.

However by adopting Conservative proposals back in February to collect green waste from homes for free, we are now back on track to reach these targets.

60,000 sacks were delivered to householders and collections began on 4th July. Current tonnages being collected average 100 a week whereas as under the previous chargeable scheme 30 tonnes a week was achieved.

The Council must reach a target of 26.4% (recycling and composting) by 2006. We are now on track to achieve 26.5%. If we make the target the Council is given a Reward Grant of £400k which we might want to spend on introducing doorstep glass collection. This will help us recycle even more.