The council has a blue bag collection for newspapers, letters and magazines, which are sent to Shotton for recycling into newsprint. Flintshire also has a blue box scheme for cans, glass, plastic bottles and textiles.
Flintshire has reached the Welsh Assembly's recycling target of 15% with a 16% rate through its kerbside collections and bring sites. The next target is for a 25% recycling rate by 2005/06.
 Channel 4's Vernon Kay with some Flintshire children at the launch of the new recycling video |
Councillor Kevin Jones, executive member for community and housing, said: “We issued new bags as part of our kerbside collection drive last year and as a result increased paper recycling by over 40%.”
Flintshire's schools will also benefit from UPM Shotton's 100,000 investment into a new education pack. The free pack includes a video starring TV personality Vernon Kay, host of Channel Four's teen magazine show T4 and aims to harness “pester power” to increase recycling participation by households.
John Viviani of UPM Shotton Paper said: “The aim is to encourage more people to participate. Almost every household in the region is currently offered a kerbside recycling service but not everyone actively takes part.”
The council recently reported a recycling and composting rate of 16%, exceeded its 2003/04 target to recycle 15%. It now has a number of schemes to help it meet its next target to recycle or compost 25% by April 2006.
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