Rubbish levels fall again
07 March 2011
The people of Wandsworth cut the amount of rubbish they produce by almost a third of a kilo per household per week between April and Christmas last year.
This means the council is on course to save another £300,000 in waste disposal costs in 2010/11.
If forecasts are correct, between April 2009 and April this year Wandsworth residents will have helped the council save around £650,000 - helping to keep council tax low.
As well as producing less waste year on year, residents are also recycling more. The council sent 19,350 tonnes to be recycled in the in the first three quarters of 2010/11. That's 587 tonnes more than the same period in the previous year.
The council launched its 'less in the bin, more in your pocket' in 2009. The rising cost of sending rubbish to landfill means it would save the council nearly £750,000 annually if all households reduced their residual waste by a kilo.
A kilo is the equivalent of a bag of sugar, a pineapple or the amount of food and drink consumed by one person in the average meal.
If residents recycled everything they could, that would save a further £300,000 a year.
Environment spokesman Cllr Sarah McDermott said: "The people of Wandsworth have shown that that they have a serious, long-term commitment to wasting less and recycling more. This is fantastic news for the environment and for council tax payers."
Simple ways to cut the amount of rubbish you produce include reducing food waste, shredding garden waste and home composting. For more information visit
www.wandsworth.gov.uk/save.
The council's Eco-fund gives grants to small, community-based environmental schemes, including those that promote waste minimisation and recycling. The next deadline for applications is 14th February.
More at
www.projectdirt.com/group/wandsworthecofund