The Executive has set targets to provide kerbside collections to 90% of households in Scotland by 2020 and to recycle or compost 25% of municipal waste by 2006.
Clackmannanshire has already exceeded the kerbside coverage target and believes that new recycling schemes introduced in March 2004 means it will meet the other target. In 2002/03 the council recycled 6.8% of its waste, but since beginning kerbside collections of dry recyclables and green waste it has reported a 29% recycling rate.
Graeme Cunningham, the council's integrated waste manager, said: “The figures speak for themselves, in the last three months we have recycled over 3,000 tonnes, that's more than the whole of last year put together.”
The council was granted 5.7 million from the Scottish Executive's Strategic Waste Fund in February 2002 for new waste management and recycling schemes. In March 2004, the council's kerbside collection of paper, glass, cans, textiles and plastics in a blue box became a weekly service and rolled out its brown bin collections for garden and cardboard waste.
Councillor Billy Calder, convenor of the enterprise and environment committee, said: “There were a few teething troubles in the early days as the scheme was introduced, but most people wholeheartedly support the scheme and can see the part they are playing in protecting the local environment now and in the future.”
Mr Cunningham added: “Some of the larger households have had difficulty with the scheme and we are aware of that are we're ready to offer advice if and when needed. In most cases it's more a question of letting people get used to the new scheme and for things to settle down.”
The kerbside collections have been introduced by Clackmannanshire council, working with Alloa Community Enterprise and the Scottish Waste Awareness Group.
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