New figures published last week show that the total amount of household waste produced in Merseyside has fallen from 793,000 tonnes in 2004/5, to 770,000 tonnes in 2005/06.
The recycling rate for the authority, which covers Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helen's, Sefton and the Wirral, has simultaneously increased from 13.4% to 18.5%.
The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority is attributing the changes to the success of waste reduction and recycling publicity campaigns.
However, it also admits that a spell of dry weather may also have reduced the amount of green waste collected, thereby reducing overall waste figures published within the Authority's annual review and performance plan 2006/09.
Stuart Donaldson, MWDA's waste strategy manager said: “We are encouraged by the reduction in waste on Merseyside. Residents are contributing to initiatives to minimise their waste such as home composting.
“However, we must consider the effect other factors such as climate change and the environment have on the amount of waste produced. Last year was fairly dry and we consider that this may have had some effect in diverting green and garden waste away from the waste stream,” Mr Donaldson added.
“Encouraging”
Despite the possible reduction of green waste collected, household recycling in Merseyside increased from 106,203 tonnes in 2004/05 to 143,000 in 2005/06.
Carl Beer, MWDA director, explained: “Recycling performance for the region has improved over the last 12 months, rising from 13.4% to 18.5%. It illustrates that Merseyside's household waste recycling rate is accelerating year on year – we have increased by 8% over the past two years.”
Authority chairman Cllr Kevin Cluskey said that improved recycling collections by district councils on Merseyside, including a three wheeled bin recycling scheme in Liverpool (see letsrecycle.com story), meant that Merseyside could “look to the future with optimism.”
He said: “There are some encouraging indicators which tell us that we are moving in the right direction.”
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Challenges
However, Mr Beer added that the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, which sits near the bottom of the country's recycling league table, still had a difficult task ahead. He said: “This is good news, but there are tough challenges over the next few years.
“We are now recycling more in general, but still lag behind other parts of the country. Merseyside is still below its 22% target.”
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