Published: 25/04/2018
Copeland's new kerbside recycling scheme collected more than DOUBLE the previous average amount in its first week.
Mayor Mike Starkie said: "The response to the scheme has been amazing - as we expected, Copeland people are very keen to recycle and we've tried to make it as easy as possible."
Crews collected 62 tonnes of glass, cans, plastic, card and paper in the first week.
Copeland's waste and enforcement manager, Janice Carrol, said:
"We are gathering figures on the numbers of people taking part and there is definitely a a big increase, which is great to see. There have also been huge increases in the amounts of recycling materials people are putting out for collection.
"As with most projects of this size, there have been some teething issues - and we are really grateful for people's patience in this. The teams have made more than twice as many trips to off-load the material as usual - this impacted on the service, and on things like the remaining deliveries of boxes. However we have been able to make boxes available from our Moresby depot for a period, which has helped, and most people now have them.
"We have also arranged extra lid collection points and events. If anyone doesn't have a box or bag yet, they'll arrive as soon as we possibly can. In the meantime, we would urge people to keep recycling. You can put materials out in any other containers you wish - the main thing is that they are sorted as far as possible and are reasonable secure."
She added: “As this is a new scheme, the first few weeks of operation will help our crews become more familiar with the new rounds and materials. During this 'bedding in' process it’s possible some collections could be later in the day, or perhaps even the next day. Please bear with us in these early stages – we really appreciate it."
Residents can see their waste collection calendar, which includes recycling, by visiting the My Property section of Copeland Council's website at www.copeland.gov.uk. There is also a section of the site for all the details of the scheme, which can be reached from the home page.
