Recycling service for businesses

By Julian Whittle

Last updated 11:44, Thursday, 31 July 2008

CARLISLE City Council may extend its successful household-waste recycling service to businesses.

A report to councillors suggests setting up a pilot scheme for the collection of cardboard and paper.

Unlike the household-waste recycling service, which is free, businesses would pay to have material removed. But the charge would be lower than the fees they pay to have rubbish collected, so giving an incentive to recycle.

The council’s existing commercial waste collection service operates with one wagon and two employees. It collects between 1,200 and 1,500 tonnes of waste a year, much of which, officials believe, could be recycled.

They have sounded out businesses that use the service.

The report to councillors says: “Many existing customers have expressed an interest in recycling, although the council does currently not offer this service.

“Of the 75 companies that responded to the council’s survey, 50 indicated that they would be interested if the council offered a commercial waste recycling service.”

The report was due to be discussed at a council scrutiny panel today. It was expected to recommend that the council’s ruling executive pushes ahead with the pilot scheme.

This would be reviewed after three months to see whether it is worth making it a permanent arrangement.

The city council altered its household waste and recycling services last year. A switch to fortnightly waste collections, coupled with an expansion of recycling, had a dramatic impact.

The amount of household waste sent for burial in landfill sites fell by 23.6 per cent to 23,528 tonnes in 2007-08 compared with 2006-07. The percentage of household and garden waste recycled or composted rose from 34.5 to 48.8 per cent.

JWhittle@cngroup.co.uk