Archived press release

Date Published: 18/09/06

Local residents can now recycle even more rubbish thanks to Aylesbury Vale District Council’s recycling service. Following discussions with its plastics recycling contractor, the council has secured an agreement to extend the range of mater...

Local residents can now recycle even more rubbish thanks to Aylesbury Vale District Council’s recycling service.

Following discussions with its plastics recycling contractor, the council has secured an agreement to extend the range of materials that can be recycled.

Residents can now put more types of plastic in their recycling basket, such as plastic egg boxes, food trays, bottle tops and jar lids.

The council will also accept yogurt pots and margarine and butter tubs with any recycling symbols on them. Previously, only yogurt pots and spread tubs marked 1, 2 or 3 were collected through the fortnightly collection scheme.

Plastic containers such as fizzy drink bottles, shampoo and conditioner bottles, and bleach and cleaning product bottles are also collected on a fortnightly basis.

Recycling more materials will result in a reduction in volume of waste going to landfill, helping the county council avoid having to charge more council tax to pay substantial penalties imposed for exceeding landfill targets.

AVDC has committed itself to recycling 30 per cent of its waste by 2008. Currently about 18 per cent of all waste in the district is recycled.

Councillor Michael Edmonds, Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Health, said: “It’s vitally important that we do as much as we can to cut the amount of the district’s waste that’s sent to landfill. Removing more plastics from the general waste system will help us cut waste disposal costs and meet our targets. Residents have been telling us that they’re keen to see more plastics accepted for recycling and I’m pleased to say that we are now in a position to grant their wish.”

Every household in Aylesbury Vale should have a green bin or black sacks for household rubbish and two recycling baskets: one for paper, and one for cans and plastics. Most properties also have a box for glass recycling. If residents fill their recycling baskets they can request another at a subsidised rate of £2, which helps to cover the cost of delivery.

Some plastics such as expanded polystyrene, clingfilm, plastic bags and plastic wrapping cannot be recycled through the basket scheme at this present time. AVDC can only collect what the recycling companies it has contracts with have markets for. However, the council is constantly seeking to extend the range of materials that can be recycled to reduce the amount of household rubbish sent to landfill sites and save households money in the process.

For more information on what materials the council accepts for recycling, visit AVDC’s website www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk under Your home, then Refuse and Recycling, or call 01296 585862.