Big Recycling Increases in Flats and Shared Houses

Over the past year the amount of recycling in flats and shared houses has risen dramatically thanks to a project run by Bath & North East Somerset Council to help more people recycle more of their waste.

The project, which ran from September 2006 to February 2008 was funded by WRAP (The Waste & Resources Action Programme) and was designed to help inform people living in flats, shared houses and university accommodation about the services available to help them recycle more.

The project was a great success in helping people in areas that do not always have easy access to information on recycling. As a result of the project the amount of people committed to recycling and using the service has increased, along with the amount of material now being recycled.

The number of people in flats who report using their Mini Recycling Centres (private recycling banks for residents in flats) has increased by over 28% which is reflected by the amount being recycled in flats. In January and February this year, the Council had already collected more recycling from flats than January to March last year (622 tonnes in two months of 2008 compared to 554 tonnes in three months of 2007).

Not only that, but more people living in shared accommodation are now committed to recycling their waste compared to this time last year with an increase of over 8% and even more are now recycling using the green box service (a rise from 71% to over 76%).

Locally Liberal Democrats support these initiatives and have long campaigned for greater recycling in the City and in Lambridge Ward. It is important to remember that it was the Liberal Democrats that drove the recycling initiatives on Bath City Council.

Bath & North East Somerset Council provides a weekly green box service and Mini Recycling Centres in flats to help collect recycling. If you would like to find out more about these services or the other recycling, composting and waste services that the Council provides, please contact Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41 or email councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk or see the Council’s website www.bathnes.gov.uk/wasteservices

This project was funded by the WRAP Behavioural Change Local Fund.
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a major UK programme established to promote resource efficiency. Its particular focus is on creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.

A not-for-profit company, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
More information on all of WRAP's programmes can be found on www.wrap.org.uk. For more information on WRAP's national communication campaign, Recycle Now, visit www.recyclenow.com.