New recycling bins trialled
29 Jan 2020 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
New bins aimed at boosting recycling are being trialled in Northumberland.
Having formally declared a climate emergency, the council is progressing a number of schemes both large and small aimed at reducing carbon emissions, improving recycling rates and making the county cleaner and greener.
Now the first eye-catching bins are being trialled in Morpeth and Newbiggin, designed to encourage passers-by to recycle plastic bottles and cans - which would otherwise end up in general waste.
The first bins are joint partnerships with Morpeth and Newbiggin Town Councils.
In the UK around 5.5 billion plastic bottles and 2.7 billion drinks cans get thrown away every year.
A study in Leeds, which ran a similar bin scheme, estimated that the proportion of people putting their drinks containers in a recycling bin rose from 17 per cent to 32 per cent in six months.
The bins in Morpeth are situated by the large carpark near Sanderson Arcade and near the leisure centre, areas where there are a lot of people passing. The Newbiggin bins will be installed shortly.
Public recycling initiatives such as this rely on the goodwill and support of those using them and residents are being encouraged to use other general waste bins for disposing of anything other than plastic bottles and cans.
Even low levels of contamination in these recycling bins could lead to the contents of the whole bin being treated as waste rather than recycling.
Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services, explained: “We all need to do what we can for the environment, and this is an excellent initiative to help boost recycling.
“It’s very important people put only plastic bottles and cans in these bins, which are clearly marked, to enable us to recycle as much as possible.
“We’ll be able to measure how many bottles and cans are being recycled to study how effectively the trial is working. Based on these results we’re hoping to roll out more bins in other parts of the county in the near future.”
Councillor David Bawn, Chair of the Finance and General Purpose Committee from Morpeth Town Council said: “I would call upon all residents to make use of these bins in the correct way to make sure this trial is a success.
“We can all do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint, and increasing our recycling of these items will make a big difference over time. I am proud that in partnership with the County Council, Morpeth Town Council is taking a lead on this important issue."