Residents are being given the chance to talk rubbish and recycling and tell Oxfordshire’s county, city and district councils how they can help them recycle more and create less waste.
Did you know that each household in Oxfordshire produces one tonne of waste each year?
While are among the best in the country at recycling and composting, recycling rates have started to drop in Oxfordshire.
This consultation will inform the review of the joint countywide waste strategy, which sets out shared priorities across Oxfordshire for waste and recycling until 2030 and which will be approved by the Oxfordshire Environment Partnership over the summer. Then, each council partner will adopt changes later in the year.
We want to do better at recycling and the new joint countywide waste strategy is critical to this. We know that, on average, more than half the items put in the general waste bin could have been recycled - by placing them in the other available bins.
Through this consultation, residents are being asked what would help them to recycle more and reduce their overall waste. This could include expanding the range of materials that can be recycled at the kerbside and tips and advice on leftover food, upcycling clothing or donating or buying second hand goods. The councils are also seeking views on more radical schemes that have been implemented elsewhere in the country, such as changing bin sizes and collection frequency.
Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “In the Vale of White Horse, our residents are able to recycle the majority of their waste through the household collection service that we run, and they do a fantastic job. We’re always keen to look at ways to improve, so I would like to encourage our residents to take part in this consultation and help to shape the future for waste and recycling services in Oxfordshire.”
Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment at Oxfordshire County Council said: “We want to help residents to increase the amount they recycle and have looked at what other councils are doing. This is a long-term strategy and we will not be making any immediate changes however we are interested in which of these the residents of Oxfordshire think may work for them as we seek to minimise the overall amount of residual waste produced in the county.”
Do you want to recycle and reduce waste? So help us by taking part in the online survey at www.recycleforoxfordshire.org.uk . The survey is now open and will close on 18 February.
NOTES:
Cherwell:
- Recycled 57 per cent of their waste in 2017
- Produced 60,000 tonnes of household waste
- Population 146,300
City
- Recycled 49 per cent of their waste in 2016/17
- Produced 47,000 tonnes of household waste
- Population 161,300
South
- Recycled 64 per cent of their waste in 2017
- Produced 50,000 tonnes of household waste
- Population 138,100
Vale
- Recycled 63 per cent of their waste in 2017
- Produced 42,000 tonnes of household waste
- Population 128,700
West
- Recycled 63 per cent of their waste in 2017
- Produced 46,000 tonnes of household waste
- Population 108,700