Councils to start snooping in your bins

ADUR and Worthing councils are to start checking the bins of thousands of residents to ensure they are recycling correctly.
Adur and Worthing councils recycling binsAdur and Worthing councils recycling bins
Adur and Worthing councils recycling bins

A scheme called Recycling Together will see 2,000 households in Adur and 2,000 in Worthing have their blue-lidded recycling bins checked by the authorities. If they are recycling material that is clean, dry and loose, and all items inside are fully recyclable – their recycling bin will be affixed with a gold star.

Adur and Worthing councils have been tasked with setting a recycling target of 50 per cent for all households by 2020, and they claim the initiative will help them to achieve this.

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The household will also qualify for a voucher for £10 that can be spent on a number of leisure activities across the area if they make the grade.

In Adur it will be for Impulse Leisure Centres and The Ropetackle Centre, and in Worthing for South Downs Leisure Centres and Worthing Theatres.

Additionally, the household will be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten £100 high street shopping vouchers in each area.

During the project the councils said they hope to ‘learn a lot about the recycling behaviour of their residents and in particular, how the messaging that has been used in recent years is working’.

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In a press release about the scheme, the councils added: “These insights are extremely valuable so that the councils can ensure that they deliver readily understood communications that are consistent and help their residents continue to recycle as much of their waste material as possible to a continuing high standard.

“Equally, the councils are keen to help residents and make it as easy as possible to manage their waste effectively at home.”

Speaking about recycling generally, the councils said: “All Adur and Worthing residents enjoy successful and popular refuse and recycling collection services, costing each household less than 50p a week.

“The councils are keen to recognise residents who recycling on a regular basis and acknowledge their help to reduce the amount of general waste that is dumped in landfill sites each year. The cost of waste disposal has been rising steadily in recent years and places a considerable burden on council taxpayers.

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“The financial case for recycling is very compelling – for example if every property in Adur and Worthing recycled just one extra squash bottle, the councils’ landfill tax bill would be cut by £13,000 a year. Last year, Adur and Worthing introduced plastic pots, tubs and trays to the list of accepted recycling commodities in response to public demand.”

Councillor Clive Roberts, Worthing Borough Council’s executive member for the environment, said; “2,000 households in the Worthing area will be receiving a special Recycling Together newsletter this week outlining this great initiative.

“The council are striving towards a 50 per cent waste recycle target; our residents will benefit from their recycling efforts and who doesn’t like a gold star?

“Seriously though, by working together towards 50 per cent of all waste collected being recycled and diverted from landfill will work out to an estimated saving of £145,200 in disposal fees over three years.”

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Councillor Keith Dollemore, Adur District Council’s executive member for the environment, added; “The residents of Adur are, on the whole, good and efficient recyclers but we can all do more.

“The target to recycle 50 per cent of all waste is beneficial to the environment and financially to us all.

“By further education and offering our residents enjoyable incentives, like the £10 leisure voucher, we can make it better. I am confident that the target will be met if everyone plays their part.”

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