The Oxfordshire authority, which started rolling out green waste collections in October (see letsrecycle.com story) is inviting residents to sign up for messages to prepare them for stage two of the recycling roll-out.
” We have a high student population who tend to use a lot of text messages. “
– Ian Bourton, Oxford CC
Under the phase, which begins this month, 15,000 residents will receive a new blue recycling box and a green wheeled bin or lilac sack for residual waste as part of a change to alternate weekly collections.
Residents who sign up to the message service will receive texts or emails before bin collections are due at their home, to remind them which bins they should put out.
Householders will also be able to text questions or comments about the collections directly to council officers who will answer back.
Oxford hopes that the new recycling system, which will cover all properties in Oxford by Spring 2007, will “at least double” Oxford's 19% recycling rate to beyond 40%.
Alert
Councillor Jean Fooks, Oxford's executive member for a cleaner city, said: “We're doing all we can to introduce these new recycling services as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible.
She added: “Using email and text to alert people to their new collection arrangements and to answer their questions is a great way to help make sure that the new services run smoothly.”
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Ian Bourton, services manager for city works at the council, explained that under the new scheme residual waste, green waste and recycling would be collected on alternate weeks, depending on whether they fell within “purple” or “orange” areas.
He said: “We have a high student population who tend to use a lot of text messages and it was thought that it was a good, innovative way to help people change over to the new recycling service. The reminders assist people as different materials are collected each week.”
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