Local people are being encouraged to have their say on how Bath & North East Somerset Council intends to support an increase recycling rates and achieve a reduction in carbon emissions over the coming years.
The Council’s ‘Towards Zero Waste 2020’ strategy tackles difficult issues that local authorities all over the country are facing, such as substantial increases in landfill tax charges. The document is going through its annual refresh with a new action plan for the next year or so. Recycling rates are on target to reach 44% despite government changes to the way in which these are calculated. Five years ago, the figure was 32%.
Tackling the causes and effects of climate change is one of the Council’s key priorities and we want feedback from the local community about how this can be done even more effectively.
The less waste sent to landfill, the lower the landfill tax charges the local taxpayer pays meaning more money can be invested in frontline local services.
The consultation asks for views on the Council’s approach to reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover waste, and its action plan for 2011/12 that proposes to keep exploring the possibilities for recycling more materials as part of the weekly kerbside services, to focus on increasing recycling rates at flats, and to have more contact with residents so they know all about our recycling services and can tell us their ideas about what they'd like to see.
The consultation closes on Friday March 18th 2011. It can be accessed at www.bathnes.gov.uk/wastereview2010 . Anyone without internet access can call 01225 395207 for a paper copy.
