South Gloucestershire | Archive | 2005 | November | 5
From the archive, first published Saturday 5th Nov 2005.
NEVER mind the golden touch, South Gloucestershire Council is on the lookout for residents with green magic fingers.
People from Yate, Thornbury and surrounding areas are wanted to have their say on plans to further improve recycling in the area.
Despite the controversy over the council's twin bin system, the authority still wants to boast its recycling rates.
South Gloucestershire Council and SITA's SORT IT!* services have already increased recycling rates from 6 percent to over 40 percent in just five years.
However, the council is now preparing to carry out a review of waste services in the district to meet tough EU targets that came into force in April this year.
A number of options to further increase recycling and recovery rates in the area and to ensure South Gloucestershire is one of the top districts in the country are now being looked at.
Cllr Shirley Potts, executive member for communities, said: "South Gloucestershire residents are among the best recyclers in the country which puts us in a good position.
"Like all councils, though, we need to keep improving services to avoid the impacts of a sharp rise in landfill tax and EU penalties."
She added: "The review is an opportunity to improve services now to prepare for the future. We want to involve residents in this review and hope that they will come to a presentation at an area forum meeting."
Regulations mean authorities have to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste ending up in landfill sites and to introduce new services to help residents recycle more.
Six proposals are being reviewed: the introduction of food waste collections, options for recycling plastic bottles, the redevelopment of a new SORT IT!* centre, the construction of a composting plant, changing the bulky collection service and a package of service improvements.
As part of the review, homeowners are being invited to comment on the proposals at the Frome Vale Area Forum at Brimsham Green School, Yate on Thursday, January 12 at (7pm).
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