Half town's waste not recycled

RESIDENTS are today being encouraged to be more green after the latest figures revealed that less than half of all the waste created is recycled.

Between April 2006 and March 2007, just 37 per cent of the 53,000 tonnes of waste collected from Ipswich homes was recycled.

Figures just released for the period between March 2007 and September 2007 show there has been a slight improvement with 44 per cent of waste being recycled.

Some of the waste is dry recyclables collected through blue kerbside bins and some is garden waste and composted collected via the brown bins.

This score ranks Ipswich in the middle of the national table for recycling waste.

Dylan Cross, assistant manager for refuse and cleansing, StreetCare, said: “I freely admit that I didn't use to recycle before the twin bin scheme came in. It is all about a culture of change.

“The vast majority of people have come on board but hopefully this will get better with help-lines, leaflets and people asking their refuse crew for information.

“We are heading in the right direction but we cannot keep chucking things on the landfill - it will be full up in the next ten to 12 years and then that will be it.

“We want residents to take ownerships of these schemes.”

With every single resident in the town producing 450kg of household waste a year on average, Glynis Wood, Clean Neighbourhood team leader, said every bit of recycling helps.

She said: “If people used the brown bins for their vegetable peelings, mouldy fruit and vegetables, it would reduce the weight to put on the landfill and also makes brilliant compost.

“We would also want to encourage people to give items to charity shops - it's still all recycling.”

What do you think of the town's recycling schemes? Do they work? Write to Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.