District Council reassures local residents on recycling

Date:  07 December 2005

Three Rivers District Council has moved to reassure local residents that separating rubbish for recycling is worthwhile following a BBC report about the alleged dumping of rubbish overseas.

Welcoming the fact that the Environment Agency has announced ongoing investigations into illegal exports, Cllr Phil Brading, went on to add:

"There is no doubt that when rubbish is recycled, there are very real environmental benefits. Recycling conserves raw materials and saves energy, and also reduces our reliance on landfill sites, where rotting rubbish emits methane, a powerful greenhouse gas."

"Recycling is one simple way in which we can all make a difference, and Three Rivers is proud of the fact that it's residents are now recycling over 40% of their waste, making it one of the highest recycling performers in the Country. Residents can be assured that all waste collected by Three Rivers for recycling is reprocessed within the UK and we have a comprehensive audit trail to prove this."

Three Rivers also points out that it does not use the services of the one company featured in the programme, but there are many recycling plants in the UK, reprocessing millions of tonnes of material every year. In recent years, our ability to use recycled materials in the UK has grown rapidly. For example:

• all the newsprint manufactured in the UK is now made from 100% recycled paper
• the glass we recycle is used by British companies to make many useful products, including new bottles and jars, or it can be used to make road building material and other products.

For more information on recycling, including your nearest recycling facilities, visit www.recyclenow.com. Contact Three Rivers District Council on 01923 776611 for information on local recycling collections.