South Lakeland District Council crews worked flat out to collect a bumper amount of recycling in the post-Christmas period.
In the first week of January (w/c January 6), the total tonnage of paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays collected at the kerbside in our blue bags and boxes was up 6.7 per cent – a rise of 12 tonnes to 194 tonnes from 182 tonnes in the same week last year.
For context, 40-50,000 plastic bottles, or 25-30,000 glass bottles, or 40-50,000 newspapers equates to one tonne. In the equivalent week in the cycle in December, crews collected 141 tonnes of recycling.
Councillor Dyan Jones Portfolio Holder for Climate Emergency and Localism, said: “This is a staggering amount of recycling to be collected in one week and our residents must be congratulated for doing the right thing and recycling their paper, cardboard, glass and cans through our kerbside collections.
“It is great to see so much waste being recycled. An increase in the amount of rubbish we generate is inevitable over Christmas. However, it is very encouraging to see so many folks getting it sorted into their bins, boxes and bags. It helps our collection staff and shows how much we care. We all have to play our part in tackling the global climate emergency and recycling is an easy way for us all to make a difference.
“Thanks must also be paid to our hard-working crews who always do a sterling job collecting our recycling. They showed their levels of professionalism by rising to the challenge and actually getting these materials off the kerbsides and away to be recycled.”
For more information about recycling in South Lakeland, go to www.southlakeland.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/
