Orange recycling comes to housing estates

as the recyling service is extended

People living on housing estates who want to recycle their rubbish will be able to place paper, cardboard, tin, glass, and plastic bottles in recycling containers situated on their doorsteps.

To make the system work the council is increasing the number of recycling banks on housing estates from just over 400 to 1,600. Just like the Orange sacks used elsewhere in the borough, estate residents will be able to place all their recycleables in the same bank.

The fourfold increase means there will be an individual recycling bank for the vast majority of housing blocks in the borough - both council and private.

These new banks will also complement the 175 that have been placed at leisure centres, supermarkets and car parks across the borough.

The move is expected to lead to a big increase in recycling levels in Wandsworth, which have already grown by 75 per cent in the past 12 months.

This huge increase is being attributed to the introduction of the orange sack service in April 2003 which provided weekly doorstep recycling services to 84,000 homes in Wandsworth.

Sacks can only be used for recycling at properties which have individual refuse collections and enough space to store sacks. A lack of adequate storage space in high rise flats has meant this type of recycling system was impractical. Using the same bank to recycle lots of different items overcomes this hurdle.

The installation of the new banks is expected to begin next month. Local residents will be consulted over the exact positioning of each one.

Cabinet member for environment and public services Cllr Guy Senior said:

"Our experience over the past year has shown that if you make recycling simple and convenient for people, then they are eager to get involved. It is this formula that has proved so successful with our orange sack scheme. Now we are keen to see it repeated on local housing estates."

Cabinet member for housing Martin D Johnson added:

"We firmly believe that the introduction of this orange style recycling service on our estates will pay real dividends. Tenants and leaseholders have asked us for better recycling facilities and this is precisely what the council is now delivering."

Residents of privately owned blocks who would like a recycling bank should telephone (020) 8871 8558. Council tenants or leaseholders should telephone (020) 8871 8604.

16th March 2004