New recycling truck on the road

A new vehicle which will help to make Surrey Heath a greener Borough by collecting 500 tonnes of materials which would previously have gone to landfill sites, has taken to the streets in a new service introduced last month. The new truck, which will be operated by municipal services contactor Verdant Group plc, was purchased by Surrey Heath Borough Council using grants from DEFRA and Surrey County Council. It is dedicated to collecting recyclable goods from schools, residential and nursing homes and blocks of flats.

The £96,000 vehicle, which is designed to lift and empty wheeled bins of all sizes up to 1,100 litres, will collect from establishments where large amounts of recyclable materials are likely to accumulate.

The following items are collected:

- Cardboard - flat packed
- Paper and magazines
- Junk mail and catalogues
- Phone directories
- Art paper (only water based paints)
- Shredded paper - in plastic bags
- Books and envelopes
- Cans

The service does not collect:

- Kitchen waste
- Tissues and handwipe towels
- Glass and plastic

The vehicle operates five days a week, following a route which collects from each pick-up point once a week. The service aims to collect around 500 tonnes of bio-degradable materials a year, which would previously have been sent to landfill sites. New legislation means Councils which do not meet their proposed recycling targets face tough financial penalties which could affect the Council Tax paid by local residents.

Portfolio Holder for Customer Care Cllr Vivienne Chapman said: "This new service is free to all participants and will encourage residents to recycle as much material as possible. This will help Surrey Heath meet the Government's target of recycling 30 per cent of all household waste and reduce the amount sent to landfill sites. The Council's performance indicators show there are high levels of public satisfaction with street cleansing and recycling in the Borough. In 2005/06 residents recycled 25.4 per cent of household waste, which exceeded the national average of 23 per cent."

Portfolio Holder for Economy and the Environment Cllr Pat Pearce said: "This new service, along with the introduction of the Green Waste Club demonstrates the Council's determination to improve recycling levels in the Borough. We hope that by sending the vehicle to schools it will help educate children about the importance of recycling and encourage them to recycle more of their rubbish. Currently the service operates at flats, schools and residential homes but it is hoped it will be extended to include as many other similar properties as possible in the Surrey Heath area."

The Council already offers a weekly recycling collection scheme for all domestic properties in the Borough. Recyclable items such as papers, magazines, catalogues and cans can be put out in separate bags and left with normal refuse. Recycling collections are carried out on the same day as normal collections, but they are picked up later by a different vehicle.

For more information click on the Green Waste Club.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ref: News 314

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------