Oxford notes “flying start” for alternate weekly collections

The city authority, which started rolling out the service to 15,000 properties last November, says that its 19% recycling rate for 2005/06 has shot up to 27%.

Oxford council has also received over 4,000 requests smaller wheeled bins than its standard 240 litre models. The revelation comes after many residents criticised Oxford's scheme for cutting residual waste collections in half.

” Having so many people… say they think they'll be able to recycle more and not need the bigger bin is encouraging “
– Jean Fooks
Half of the requests for smaller bins come from 16,000 residents in South of the city who are due to join the scheme over the next two weeks.

Councillor Jean Fooks, Executive member for a cleaner city, said: “Early figures show that the efforts being made by residents in the first area to join our new scheme have already made big cuts in the amount of waste being dumped to landfill. I would like to thank residents in that area for their efforts and for getting the new scheme off to such a flying start.”

She added: “Having so many people in the second area say they think they'll be able to recycle more and not need the bigger bin is also encouraging. This suggests that we should see another big increase in the amounts being recycled in Oxford once collections start in the second area.”

Blue box

Under the new scheme, residents in Oxford are being given a blue box for plastics, cans, card and telephone directories and a green box for glass, textiles, newspapers and higher grade paper. Blue wheelie bins are also available for households which recycle more.

Properties currently taking part include those in Carfax, Holywell, Jericho, Botley Road, Hinksey Park, Summertown, Wolvercote and small parts of Marston, Headington and Quarry.

The service will soon include Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Cowley, Iffley Fields, Littlemore, Northfield Brook, Rose Hill and Iffley, St Marys and Cowley Marsh.

Oxford hopes that the new scheme will at least double the city's recycling rate and push it beyond 40%.

Cllr Fooks said: “We know there are still people with concerns and we are continuing to work with them to address individual difficulties, but these results show that the vast majority of residents in the area are doing what they can to recycle more and waste less.”