Thank you to residents
We are now recycling an additional 35 tonnes of waste every week thanks to local residents.
Our campaign to improve recycling rates began in Huddersfield and Holme Valley in April and has been a huge success. We’re now moving to the north of Kirklees.
The campaign sees recycling and waste advisors out and about checking green bins and talking to residents about what can and cannot go in them.
What impact has been made?
Out of the properties monitored so far – around 90,000 – 86 per cent of residents were putting the correct items in the green bin already. After residents were educated on what can and cannot go in their green bin, this number increased to 98 per cent.
This means that just two per cent of residents in South Kirklees were not recycling properly after being visited and educated by advisors.
Due to this campaign and the cooperation of residents, an additional 35 tonnes of waste is now being recycled every week which otherwise would have to be sent to landfill or for burning.
That’s around five or six full bin wagons. To put that into perspective, that’s the same weight of approximately seven elephants.
What happens next?
Council officers will now look to take this success to the North of Kirklees from 17 June in the same bid to improve recycling rates – which at 27 per cent across the borough, falls below the national average of 45 per cent.
Advisors will be checking bins and talking to residents about what can and cannot be recycled. This is in the same bid to improve the amount of recycling that is contaminated and rejected.
Major improvements have been made in Huddersfield and Holme Valley but we’ve also learnt from the process and will try to be even more effective in the North.
Why does this need to be done?
One of the main causes of Kirklees’ poor recycling rates is the fact that around 40 per cent of green bin contents in the borough is contaminated with items such as food waste, nappies and other bagged waste.
This figure is improving quickly thanks to local residents and the council workers who have been working hard every day to make a positive change.
Cllr Rob Walker, Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment Kirklees, said:
“I would like to say a very big thank you to all our committed residents in Huddersfield and Holme Valley and dedicated council staff who have made this fantastic improvement possible.
Recycling rates in Kirklees are not where they should be but local people have really got behind the council’s bid to improve them.”
What can be recycled?
To find out what can be recycled you can go to our website.