Households in Newark and Sherwood urged to improve recycling rates

A campaign has been launched to encourage all households in Newark and Sherwood to improve recycling rates and make the district greener.

The chairman of the district council's leisure and environment committee Mr Roger Jackson said household waste collection and recycling services were vital in sorting out rubbish.

"We can do much more to improve our recycling rates and cut down on bin contamination which means putting the right stuff in the right bins," he said.

"It also means putting more recyclables into the silver recycling bins and placing less in the green or black bins which are for non-recyclable residual waste."

Each year the council deals with nearly 45,000 tonnes of waste from 52,506 households of which nearly 33% is recycled - an increase of 4% from 2015/16.

Mr Jackson said that too many silver household recycling bins are put out for collection with items that should not be there including clothing, food waste and nappies.

"If items are placed in the wrong bins what we collect can become contaminated and whole truckloads of recycling can end up not being recycled as they should," he said.

There is also a problem throughout the county where about 15% of items that are placed in the black or green waste bins.

Mr Jackson said that proper recycling helps keep council tax bills lower. It costs £45 less per tonne to recycle waste than to send it off to landfill or energy recovery.

The recycling campaign, Bin Smart, is part of the council's Cleaner, Greener and Safer initiative.

A leaflet giving a detailed breakdown of what can be recycled and a sticker showing a summer or the information will be sent to every household.

The campaign coincides with Recycle Week which takes place from September 24 to 30.