Tom Jeffrey, Strategic Director of Environment & Leisure told letsrecycle.com: “We clearly stated last year that our original financial projections had underestimated the true cost of Sutton’s waste management service. We have been quite honest and open about this and revised our cost projections for this year and next year. The high levels of contamination of recyclable waste, caused by a relatively small number of households, has exacerbated that overspend but there will be an overspend regardless of which refuse system is in place.”
Mr Jeffrey added: “The government’s local authority performance indicators for 2000/2001 includes information on recycling levels; they are expected to be published shortly. Our research suggests that Sutton will still be one of the top performing local authorities in the country for the recycling of household waste.”
He explained that the council does consider Sutton is a pioneering authority, particularly in the area of environmental initiatives. “By being innovative and pushing back boundaries there is a risk that some ideas may fail. Sutton tried a radical new approach yet our record on recycling remains one to be proud of.
“We and the government believe that more waste must be recycled and less waste buried in landfill sites. A study published last week in The Lancet shows that there are potential health risks to people living near landfill sites and a UK study, funded by the government last year found a 7% increased risk of all types of birth defects for those living within two kilometres of hazardous sites.”
Mr Jeffrey said that radical ideas on recycling are essential if we are to avoid “the dangers of landfill. Too many people are literally trying to bury a problem that ultimately will not go away.”
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