It is one of the first schemes in the UK to use householders' mobile phones as a way of promoting participation in the Northern Irish city council's kerbside collection.
” With so many people now owning mobile phones, we felt that this text messaging service was a quick and effective way to communicate.“
– Councillor James Tinsley
The free Recycling Reminder Text Service sends a text message to householders the evening before their kerbside recycling collection day. The pioneering campaign will remind and encourage householders to put out their paper recycling bins before 7am.
Councillor James Tinsley, chairman of the environmental services committee, said: “With so many people now owning mobile phones, we felt that this text messaging service was a quick and effective way to communicate directly with our residents.”
Residents pay normal rates for the first text message they send to the council to sign up and the service is free from then on. In order to join they simply text “Lisburn” and their address to 61123.
Expansion
The Northern Irish council has launched the text message service as part of the expansion of its kerbside collection which covers newspapers, magazines, office paper, catalogues, white telephone directories, paper back books, office brochures and junk mail.
“Over 16,000 homes have already been provided with a recycling bin and we plan to increase this to over 30,000 households by this autumn. We have improved our recycling rates from 2.3% in 1999 to over 8% in 2003,” said Cllr Tinsley.
As part of Northern Ireland's Eastern Region Waste Management Group's sub-regional waste management plan, Lisburn has a target to recover 25% of household waste by 2005, including more than 15% recycled or composted. And the target increases to 40% recovery with at least 25% recycling or composing by 2010.
Glass, textiles and cans are collected in Lisburn's bring banks and the city council is planning to add plastic bottles, card and cans to the kerbside collection in 2005.
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