Council emphasises recycling need as landfill tax increases

A total of 68,000 tonnes of household waste were sent to landfill in the last financial year, costing East Riding Council more than £3.8m in landfill taxes charged at £56 per tonne.

But although the tax was £8 per tonne greater than in the previous year, the council made a significant saving on the 86,000 tonnes sent to landfill in the 12 months to March 2011, for which was charged more than £4.1m.

The council is continuing its drive to encourage and enable residents to recycle more as the landfill tax is set to rise to £80 per tonne in two years.

Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning, said: “Tonne by tonne our residents are winning the battle against waste. Every glass bottle, plastic carton, newspaper and tin can that is put in the blue bin is sent for recycling instead of going to landfill.”

In the first six months of last year the council rolled out the collection of food waste and cardboard in the brown bins resulting in a 49 per jump in what was sent for composting.

From April last year to March this year nearly 40,000 tonnes of garden waste, food waste and cardboard was collected from the brown bins, compared with 27,000 tonnes for the previous year.

The overall recycling rate for March was 53 per cent – and annual rise of 11 per cent and well ahead of the Government’s target of recycling 50 per cent of household waste by 2015.

Coun Fraser added: “These results show the level of enthusiasm by our residents at being able to recycle further ranges of materials at the kerbside in the blue and brown bins.”