Bath & North East Somerset Council has announced a big rise in the amount of waste being recycled across the area, following the changes to collections it introduced earlier this year.
Local residents are now recycling much more and as a consequence, less waste is being sent to landfill.
Kerbside recycling has increased by almost a fifth with an additional 3,500 tonnes collected over the past 12 months – that’s the equivalent weight of 820 African elephants.
The amount of food waste recycled has almost doubled, with 6,748 tonnes collected by the council’s recycling teams, the equivalent weight of 375 double decker buses.
While recycling rates have increased, the amount of black bag rubbish collected has dropped by 30 per cent. That means 8,198 fewer tonnes of rubbish has been sent to landfill.
The latest figures have been welcomed by Councillor Bob Goodman, cabinet member for Development and Neighbourhoods, who said: “It’s fantastic to see such a big increase in the amount of waste local people are recycling because one of the reasons we made changes to our rubbish collection services was to increase recycling rates.
“I’d to thank residents for embracing recycling and doing their bit for the environment, helping us move towards our goal of becoming the first local authority in the country to achieve zero waste.”
Bath and North East Somerset has one of the most comprehensive weekly recycling services in the country. You can recycle the following:
Food
The council collects all types of food, both raw and cooked, edible and non-edible, including:
- Meat and fish (including bones)
- Fruit and vegetables
- Dairy
- Egg shells
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Rice, pasta and beans
- Uneaten or leftover food
- Teabags and coffee grounds
Food waste is recycled into electricity. If every household in Bath and North East Somerset recycled their food, it would create enough electricity to power 1,140 homes for a year.
Blue Bag
The council can recycle the following items in your blue bag:
- Cardboard
- Cartons (food and drinks containers)
- Brown paper
Green box
- Plastic bottles, food pots, tubs and trays
- Glass
- Paper
- Aluminium and steel cans
- Aerosols
- Foil
- Clothes, shoes and textiles
- Batteries
- Small electrical and electronic items
- Spectacles/mobile phones/used engine oil
Garden Waste
The council runs a garden waste service fortnightly, on a chargeable basis.
For more information on B&NES Council’s rubbish and recycling collections and how you can make a difference, visit: www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/bins-rubbish-and-recycling
