Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council celebrates a significant increase in its household recycling rate.
Thu, December 03, 2020
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is celebrating a significant increase in its household recycling rate.
Latest figures show the local authority is one of the top performers in Northern Ireland, with over half of all waste now diverted from landfill through blue and brown bins.
A wide variety of items including glass bottles, plastic containers, cardboard, food and garden waste can be recycled at home, and residents, with support from Council, have embraced the benefits of this.
In 2019/20, the overall household recycling rate was 53.8%, up from 38.8% in the Council’s inaugural year (2015/16). Notably, the rate over the last year increased by 6.1%, the highest across all local councils.
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Alderman Mark Fielding said: “As a Council we are committed to improving our recycling rates and the efforts of all our householders is central to this excellent achievement.
“Alongside greater use of our household recycling centres, residents have demonstrated a willingness to make full use of their brown and blue bins which allows a significant amount of household waste to be recycled.
“In 2018, Council completed an extensive project to provide all homes with a brown bin for food and garden waste. This has proven to be very successful and our residents should be commended for how they have made this service an everyday part of their lives. I hope these figures give us all renewed motivation to make further improvements as we look to the future.”
Despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, outreach work with schools, churches, community groups and businesses continues with Council’s dedicated team of Environmental Resource Officers on hand to advise on recycling and sustainability.
The enthusiasm of local residents, communities and businesses to reduce their environmental impact is also evident through increasing engagement with council’s innovative LiveSmart initiative.
It focuses on encouraging lifestyle and behavioural change to make a positive impact on the local area. With ten different strands, including RecycleSmart, FoodSmart, StaySmart and ClimateSmart, it empowers the public to take practical steps towards increased sustainability as individuals, groups and organisations. Last month saw the launch of a new LiveSmart Story Map which combines information and mapping to create an immersive experience for users and encourage even greater participation
The Mayor added: “Council’s Environmental Resources team is leading the way in encouraging our residents to understand the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and how this can lead to positive change. Together with our Operations staff who work tirelessly on the frontline, I want to offer my thanks for their collective efforts which have helped to enhance our recycling efforts across the Borough.”
If you have a story or LiveSmart idea you would like to share with us, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you! You can reach us via the story map, ring 028 2766 0248 or email recycle@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk
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Please note, the figures referred to are contained within the Northern Ireland Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste Management Statistics Annual Report and the Landfill Allowance Scheme Final Reconciliation on 26th November 2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for the April 2019 to March 2020 reporting period.
