WHILE recycling rates in York are slowly improving, we are nowhere near to achieving the 60 to 80 per cent recycling rates which could be achieved with a best-practice recycling scheme in place.
Our council should provide everyone with a comprehensive recycling and compost service that includes the collection of cardboard, plastics and garden waste. This would drastically cut the amount of waste being dumped in landfill sites and reduce the risk of waste incinerators being built in our area.
Given the financial constraints on the council, a fortnightly collection of recyclable materials (more often in warm weather) would be feasible. The Government could help York and other councils to improve recycling by providing them with money from the landfill tax.
The Government also needs to come up with a co-ordinated strategy to reduce the amount of waste produced and the amount of virgin materials consumed in the UK.
Guy Wallbanks,
Co-ordinator,
York and Ryedale Friends of the Earth,
Kingsway West, York.
Updated: 09:55 Monday, November 08, 2004
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