Recycling rises after fortnightly bins trial

RECYCLING rates in the East Riding have hit record levels following a trial of fortnightly bin collections.

Areas taking part in the trial recycled on average 67 per cent of their waste last month, the highest rate achieved in the area since records began 10 years ago.

The trial, which sees blue recycling bins collected every two weeks instead of every month, and green bins for landfill emptied fortnightly instead of every week, will now be extended to other areas.

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Overall, East Riding residents recycled 59.3 per cent of their waste in May, already way ahead of the Government’s target of recycling 50 per cent of household waste by 2015.

John Skidmore, head of streetscene services at East Riding Council, called the figure in the trial areas “phenomenal” and said: “Our residents continue to prove their enthusiasm for cutting down on the waste they are creating while increasing the amounts they are recycling.

“Among the highlights are the way those residents taking part in the fortnightly trials have responded. The results have exceeded expectations. As a consequence we are going to widen the trial areas to see if it meets residents’ expectations in more areas of the East Riding.”

The 150,000 households in the borough put 2,014 tonnes of recyclable material into the blue bins in May, a 66 per cent increase on the same month last year.

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The 7,000 households taking part in the trial recycled 125 tonnes in their blue bins, leading to a 26 per cent fall in the amount of waste being sent to landfill via the green bins since the trial began two months ago.

Areas being included in the extended trial will include parts of Driffield, Molescroft, Goole, Burstwick, Bridlington, Shiptonthorpe, Hayton, Burnby and Londesborough.

Residents in the East Riding recycled 54 per cent of household waste in March.