Recycling scheme expands

4:10pm Saturday 28th June 2008

RESIDENTS will soon be able to recycle even more household waste as Redditch Council prepares to expand a carton recycling scheme.

The scheme is being run in conjunction with Tetra Pak Ltd and ACE (Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) and its extension follows a successful trial at Sainsbury's recycling centre. The new project means used cartons can be recycled through collection bins (taking paper-based cartons only) at Sainsbury's, B&Q and Headless Cross shopping centre, with a facility at Morrison's coming soon.

Cartons still cannot be recycled through the green recycling bins, which is why the council is establishing carton collection points at recycling centres. Once collected they are taken away to be eventually recycled into a number of different products.

Councillor Colin MacMillan, portfolio holder for the environment, said: "Protecting the environment is a council priority and everything we do to increase the amount recycled instead of sent to landfill helps us achieve this aim.

"Residents have responded really well to the recycling schemes we've implemented across the town, and they want to recycle even more, so it's important we continue to provide even more opportunities to recycle whenever we can."

Since April last year, the carton industry has given £1.5million to local authorities interested in starting up carton collection schemes. The introduction of carton collection in the town follows a long line of improvements that have been made over the last 18 months.

Further information on recycling in Redditch is available from the Worcestershire Hub on 534123 or by visiting www.redditchbc.gov.uk/waste. More information on beverage carton recycling is available from www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk. Residents are asked to wash and squash cartons before recycling and only put paper-based liquid food and drinks cartons in the bin.

Editor's Choice