At the moment, Botley and Boorley Green – with 1000 households, achieves a recycling rate of 27%, but hopes to boost this to 35% in one years time with view to extending the scheme borough-wide.
Launched through its new Community Waste Action Programme, the two parish councils want a reduction in the amount of recyclable waste being placed in normal 140 or 240 litre grey bins. With an alternative collection week for recycling bins and normal waste bins, Botley and Boorley Green hope to see an increase in recyclable waste put in the correct bins.
Recycling officer at Eastleigh Borough Council, Martyn Cole said: “We know what is in our waste streams and know people are still binning recyclables with the rest of their household waste when it should be put in their recycle bins.”
Although the area has bring banks including two for glass and one for textiles, Mr Cole said kerbside collection bins – which collect some plastics, paper and card, with plans to include glass next year, are still being underused.
By holding a series of public meetings – the first of which will be on September 26 2002, distributing leaflets as well a recycling related newsletter – the Botley Recycler, and involving the local school, it is hoped more people will become aware of the importance of recycling in the area. The council hopes initiatives such as ‘green clubs’ in schools will encourage school children to recycle more as well as pass the message to their parents.
By distributing questionnaires to residents, the council hopes to ascertain what obstacles people have in regards to recycling. From this information, Mr Cole said: “We hope to discover the issues that might be an obstacle for recycling and rectify these and use the information to get the right facilities in place.”
Botley and Boorley Green are thought to be good areas to develop the pilot as it relies on one collection vehicle to pick-up all household waste and therefore will allow for easy analysis of the tonnage of ordinary waste and recyclable waste being collected before, during and after the pilot.
At the moment, 16,000 households have a composting bin in Eastleigh, of this nearly half the 1000 residents of Botley and Boorley Green have one. Mr Cole said Botley hopes to develop a community composting scheme in the future with local allotment societies.
The project is allocated to run on just a 2000 budget. Of the 35% recycling target for next year, Mr Cole said: “Targets had to be achievable – not too high or too low.”
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