The council will begin the first phase in November 2004 with the introduction of multi material collections to 12,000 homes in the west of the borough and this will be followed by the delivery of wheeled bins in early 2005. A further 17,500 homes receive the scheme in late 2005 and the rest of the borough, a total of 68,500 houses, will be in place by the end of 2006.
Macclesfield has set itself a target of recycling 35% of waste using the scheme. It ran a pilot scheme over the last two years for 5,500 of the households in the area.
Residents were given two wheeled bins – one for residual and one for garden waste; a box for tins, cans, glass bottles and jars; a bag for paper; and a sack for textiles. The waste and recycling will be collected on alternate weeks.
Commenting on the scheme Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald, Macclesfield borough council leader said: “As a borough we need to manage our waste better. The changes ahead are acceptable and wholesome, if they are explained clearly and are shown that they will benefit people' lives.”
The scheme was anticipated to achieve around a 35% recycling rate during the trial period but the council has announced that over the two years 42% of the waste collected has been diverted from landfill.
Macclesfield has also been able to announce that participation surveys have shown that 60 to 70% of the houses in the area used for the trial have a recycling receptacle on collection day. According to the council only 25% took part in the previous, paper only, scheme.
Macclesfield currently recycles 14% of its waste and is has been set a government target of 24% for 2005/06.
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