Recycling jobs hope from £17m grant bid recycling

Leeds Council is hoping to use the cash for food waste collections from 254,000 homes each week. Food waste makes up over a quarter of what is thrown away in black bins in the city, and the funding on offer would pay for the new service until 2014-15. Money saved beyond 2015 by moving to fortnightly black and green bin collections, and from sending waste to the proposed incinerator instead of landfill, would be re-invested and allow the collection services to continue. Leeds Council’s executive board will discuss the £17.6m bid on Wednesday.

The executive member for the environment, Coun Mark Dobson, said: “This is exactly the type of service that residents have been asking us for, and this significant funding will help us to extend the food waste collections that we currently offer in our city.”

Meanwhile, a new commercial recycling scheme for businesses in Craven has been approved by councillors. It will enable businesses in the district to recycle up to 60 per cent of their waste, while potentially reducing waste disposal costs. Craven Council’s member for the environment, Coun Carl Lis, claimed the move builds on a scheme which sees residents already recycling 48 per cent of their rubbish.