News
Hertfordshire winning the war on waste
Hertfordshire has come up trumps in the recycling stakes. The county council and the ten district and borough councils working in partnership, have not only met Government targets to recycle or compost 20 per cent of Hertfordshire's household waste in 2003/4, they have exceeded it.
This feature was added on 17th September 2004
A total of 21.9 per cent of household waste was recycled or composted in 2003/4, saving more than 113,000 tonnes from ending up in landfill sites - the equivalent of filling 31 Olympic-size swimming pools!
'This is fantastic news,' said County Councillor Derrick Ashley, Executive Member for Environment. 'I'd like to thank Hertfordshire residents for doing their bit to reduce the pressure on landfill sites in and around the county, by separating their rubbish.'
Hertfordshire now faces a challenging target set by the Government - to recycle or compost 30 per cent of household waste by 2005/6.
'It's a tough target to meet, but over the next year we are expanding and improving kerbside collections to help people separate and recycle more of their waste, like garden waste and glass. We are also developing processing facilities which will both support collections and turn compostible waste into a useful product. The county is in a strong position, as with the continued support and participation of residents, we are well on our way to achieving it' said Councillor Ashley.
The countywide WasteAware campaign promotes the facilities and services available in the county to make it as easy as possible to recycle.
'Everyone can play their part in cutting down on waste sent to landfill and it's encouraging that the recycling message is being taken to heart all over the county.'