Amount Of Waste In Region Recycled Increases By Over 50%

East Riding residents hit a top recycling rate of 56 per cent in April by putting more in their blue and brown bins.

There was also good news about the green landfill bins with a 20 per cent drop in April, which means the amount of waste sent to landfill was cut by 1,294 tonnes.

The council tax payer has to pay £64 tax on every tonne they send to landfill in addition to the costs of disposal.

The figures just released by East Riding of Yorkshire Council also show that there has been a huge drop in the waste sent to landfill from the six small areas trialling the fortnightly blue and green bins collections.

In the first two weeks of the trial across the six areas, there was a fall of 16 tonnes of waste collected from the green bins, with an increase of 35 per cent of recyclable waste in the blue bins.

Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning, said:

“The only word for it is spectacular: a spectacular achievement by all our residents and by those taking part in the trial.”

“In April the tax imposed on every tonne sent to landfill went up to £64 from £56. By 2014 it will have risen to £80 a tonne. That is council tax payers money spent on putting waste in a hole in the ground that we could be spending on other council services. That waste rots in the ground creating a cocktail of nasty gases.”

“The results of the trial in just two weeks are spectacular: those residents are leading the way, their actions further cutting the waste that is going to landfill.”

There was a fall in the amount of food waste, garden waste and cardboard in the East Riding’s brown bins. This was due to a drop in the amount of garden waste due to the wet weather. The drop was 14 per cent compared with April last year when the weather was summery.

The figures for April broken down by area are:

Beverley:

In April, 174 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins. This is an increase of 59 tonnes, which is 52 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 23 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Bridlington:

In April 260 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 96 tonnes, which is 59 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 16 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Driffield:

In April, 145 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 49 tonnes, which is 51 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 16 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Haltemprice:

In April, 337 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 155 tonnes, which is 85 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 23 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Holderness:

In April 224 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 82 tonnes, which is 58 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 10 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Pocklington/Market Weighton:

In April 219 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 82 tonnes, which is 60 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 22 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.

Goole:

In April 223 tonnes of glass, paper, plastics, cans and Tetra Pak was collected from the blue bins, an increase of 81 tonnes, which is 57 per cent more than in April last year.

There was a 22 per cent drop in the waste put in the green landfill bins in April compared with April last year.