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Help boost composting rates in Surrey Heath
As Compost Awareness Week approaches (6th-12th May), green-fingered residents are encouraged to sign up to Surrey Heath's Green Waste Club and help boost composting rates.
Since the club was launched in September 2006, 217 tonnes of garden waste have been collected, a noteworthy achievement for the near 900 people who have joined so far.
As an extra incentive, free Club membership is being offered to the lucky person who is the 1,500th member to join.
The Green Waste Club was launched as a three year pilot last August and is run by Surrey Heath Borough Council and its contractor Verdant. The Borough Council's Head of Environmental Services, Tim Pashen, said: "The Green Waste Club has grown steadily with an increase in members following a special offer which means people can sign up to the scheme for less than £1 a week. Now with Compost Awareness Week nearing, it is an ideal time for people to join the Club."
The Club helped the Council meet its target of recycling 30 per cent of all household waste for 2006/07. It is an easy, convenient and affordable way for residents to get rid of all their green waste in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Verdant Managing Director Simon Miles added: "Rather than having to bag up garden waste and then drive to an amenity site, residents can simply fill their green waste-dedicated wheeled bin and let Verdant do all the heavy lifting. The bins are collected fortnightly and the contents are bulked with leaf litter from the streets and other green waste and then taken to a green waste processor in Basingstoke."
People signing up for the duration of the pilot scheme (until August 2009) can spread the cost by twice-yearly direct debit payments.
Those signing up longer term for Club membership also benefit from a lower cost. For more information on the Club or call Verdant on 0800 389 0724. For additional information.
The Borough Council is also working in partnership with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) offering compost bins for a fraction of the usual prices. The composters are available in three sizes and are made from 100 per cent recycled material.
Around 30 per cent of all household
waste could be composted. Mr Pashen said: "There is increasing pressure
from the EU to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste going
to landfill. Councils which do not meet their proposed recycling targets
face tough financial penalties which could affect the council tax paid
by local people. The Green Waste Club and composters help contribute to
a cleaner and greener local environment. "
The Compact Converter 220 litre composter costs £8, the Compact
Converter 530 litre costs £10 and the Komp Converter 250 four-sided
with hinged lid cost £20. All prices include free delivery.
You can order your bin now online or by calling 0845 077 0757 quoting reference HCA1.
Compost Awareness Week is held between 6th - 12th May 2007 and is an international multi-media publicity and education initiative to showcase compost production and demonstrate compost use. It aims to encourage the public and business communities alike to take action to support composting at all scales and to use composts. This initiative began in Canada in 1995 and was brought to the UK for the first time in 2001 by The Composting Association.
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Ref: News 423
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