Vale residents achieving low waste levels

Written by Cllrs Tessa Ward & Chris Wise and published in local newsletter on Thu 16th Mar 2006

Last year Vale residents produced the lowest household waste levels of all the districts in Oxfordshire, and the county produced the lowest amount of rubbish in the country.

By November last year, the Vale's recycling rate had reached 28.6%. The new brown wheelie bin scheme has helped to boost the rate, and it is being extended to about another 2000 households from April onwards. Those who use a brown wheelie bin (£29 a year) can put their garden waste and cardboard out in the bin for roadside collection once a fortnight.

When the Vale rolled out its brown wheelie bin scheme in August last year, the target was to enrol 4,000 households by the end of March this year. This target was achieved by January.

Meanwhile, about 95 per cent of Vale households now have a Green Box for recycling their glass, cans, plastic milk bottles, paper, batteries, clothing and mobile phones.

For more details on brown wheelie bin and green box collections contact the Vale on 01235 520 202 or visit the council's website: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Future options for the disposal of Oxfordshire's waste are also under thorough investigation by the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, made up of the county, district and city councils. The county needs to find other ways to dispose of its household waste than simply sending it to landfill.