Devon’s Teignbridge District Council has launched a new webpage detailing where recyclables collected from households go for reprocessing, in order to better inform residents of the recycling process.
The 'What Happens to my Waste?' webpage, equipped with information and video clips, outlines both the end destinations of recyclables and reusables, and the processes that go into breaking down the collected products.
According to the webpage, all recyclables collected from residents are sent for reprocessing at facilities in the UK.
Councillor Kevin Lake, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Environmental Services, announced the launch of the website, saying: "Our residents do a fantastic job keeping our recycling rates high, thanks partly to regular information and encouragement from Teignbridge District Council. We think it's really important that people know what happens to their waste so they are encouraged to recycle even more.
"Of course, the most important thing is to reduce the amount of waste we all produce and with the new information page on our website, people can now see what happens to their waste, understand the process of recycling and the efforts we go to so we can all live in a cleaner environment."
The webpage was set up on the council's website after Teignbridge signed up to the 'End Destinations Recycling Charter', launched by the Resource Association with support from the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee (LARAC), with the aim of improving public information about the end destinations of recyclables.
The charter was launched after a public survey undertaken by the Resource Association and YouGov plc between April and May 2012 showed that 73 per cent of people did not know the exact end locations of their recyclables, and 68 per cent of people thought that there should be more information available to the public about their recyclables’ end destinations.
Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive of the Resource Association, welcomed the news of the webpage, saying: "We are delighted that Teignbridge Council has not only signed the charter but now implemented it, and we warmly welcome them to the growing list of councils embracing this initiative. Clear information on what happens to recycling and where it goes can only improve public confidence and encourage residents to recycle more."
Teignbridge District Council, which offers a kerbside collection service for 14 recyclable items, recycled 57 per cent of household waste in 2011/12 and hopes to see recycling rates push past 60 per cent for 2012/13 with its ‘Let’s Hit the Sixties’ recycling campaign.
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