Watford success means “top 10 list of offenders” is dropped

For the first month of the scheme in June, Watford achieved a 42% recycling rate. This has forced a rethink of a proposed policy to put together a “top ten offenders” list for those who persistently failed to recycle.

Watford now allows side waste but charges to pick it up and is also doing bin checks to explain to residents what can be recycled.

” We feel that as well as being given the chance to recycle people need to be encouraged as well
“
– Mayor Thornhill, Watford

tough

The council recycled 21% of its waste in 2003/04. Watford's mayor, Dorothy Thornhill, said: “We realised that being tough on overfills would be a difficult adjustment, especially when we have gone from having no recycling to a full scheme in just two years. But we feel that as well as being given the chance to recycle people need to be encouraged as well.”

Watford is attempting to cut down on side waste through a three stage scheme. Firstly a sticker is stuck onto bins informing them of what can be recycled, this is followed by a letter sent to the householder.

The third phase of the scheme sees the household visited by an officer, who will go through the bin indicating what can be recycled and which is the correct box to place it in.

Watford had intended on taking the scheme even further by putting together a 'top ten' list of constant offenders to take court action against. However, these residents were visited by a recycling officer and habits improved.

Redundant

The Mayor said this scheme is likely to make the idea redundant. “Following visits from our officers, the list is now down to single figures, and we may not need to go down the court route at all,” she said.

Summer months often lead to better recycling rates thanks to composting, but Mayor Thornhill has said that this does not take away from Watford's achievement.

“We are not kidding ourselves, we know we won't be hitting this rate every month. But it shows how far we have come in the last few years and we are certain, we will meet the government's 30% recycling target.”