Edwin Poots, who was appointed as minister at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in January, said today that keeping recycling going “would ease burdens on public services”.
He said: “During this pandemic we must do all we can not to intensify the burden on our public health services.
“By recycling correctly, putting your waste in the right bin and not dumping unwanted waste we can all play our part – it’s that simple.
“These easy, sensible and practical steps will stop any additional risks to public health and support our waste sector workers who are already under increasing pressure.”
The past few weeks have seen various trade associations – including those representing glass (see letsrecycle.com story) and paper (see letsrecycle.com story) – call for recycling collections across the UK to be maintained.
Several councils across the UK have reported disruption to recycling services and a number of councils have halted green waste collections with food waste also hit.
Vital
And, Mr Poots recognised the role of waste sector, including those collecting, transporting, treating and disposing of waste, as vital during the coronavirus outbreak.
He said: “Maintaining these critical services is a priority of the Executive. These men and women not only help protect our environment and public health but play a vital role in keeping the supply chain functioning.
“The materials they collect and process, such as cardboard, plastic and glass, are vital resources in package production across our food and retail sectors, so a drop in recycling can impact on the supply chain functioning effectively.”
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