Leicestershire borough unveils Zero Waste Strategy

Charnwood borough council officers say not only will this strategy, covering the next five years, be a greener approach to the environment, it will also generate more income.

Charnwood wants to be an environmental leader with its Zero Waste Strategy

The council's environmental services department already has alternate weekly waste collections in place, and collecting paper and cardboard (in a red sack), plastic and cans (in a green sack) and glass (in a box) from the kerbside.

It predicts its recycling rate for 2006/07 will be 37%, but if this statistic was to include green waste, like many local authorities collect, it would push the figure up to 63%.

However, Charnwood has decided not to offer a free green waste collection service because it prefers to encourage home composting.

The council's Zero Waste Strategy is about aiming for, rather than reaching the point of no waste going to landfill within its five-year time frame, and the document sets down how it will achieve its goals.

Digesters
The council has been piloting food digesters and paper shedders to see how effective they are at reducing waste.

In the last six months, 250 households have been trialling Green Cone's food digesters which compost food waste. The results are scheduled to be published over the next few weeks.

And 150 paper shredders are being delivered to homes for another six-month trial, to see if residents who fear identity theft from dumping documents at public collection points, can be given an incentive to recycle paper.

The council will also strengthen its awareness and enforcement policies.

This includes visiting local schools to deliver educational programmes and introducing a traffic light system which will advise residents about the seriousness of contamination.

By maximising the number of residents who recycle and by keeping contamination to a minimum, the council projects it can generate around 145,000 by 2012.

And 70,000 in savings will be made by appointing a Contract Monitor to check refuse and recycling and contracts for efficiency.

Charnwood's head of environmental services Neil Greenhalgh said: “This is our way of showing we want to be leaders in environmentally sound waste management. We want to treat waste as a resource rather than just rubbish.

“We are taking a huge step forward with the Zero Waste Strategy. We want to learn from others who do it better and lead by example. We want to work in better partnership with others, including community groups,” Mr Greenhalgh explained.