Items such as glass bottles and jars could be collected from our homes under plans being discussed by local Councillors.
Whilst Ruddington householders already enjoy a free, fortnightly collection for many recyclable items, under the Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) ‘Blue Bin’ scheme, those of us wishing to recycle glass (or clothing) currently have to head out into the village – either to the Church Street (‘Co-op’) Car Park (pictured top) or to the recycling point along Asher Lane. For soft plastic recycling, such as crisp packets, residents need to go into Ruddington Co-op.
A motion at RBC’s Council meeting on Thursday (July 13th) debated the latest on recycling glass, and highlighted changes could be made in due course in line with central government’s requirements under the new Environmental Improvement Plan 2023. One of the plan’s pledges is to “implement consistent recycling between different councils, to boost recycling rates”. Indeed, many other UK Councils already offer kerbside glass collection for domestic properties.
Whilst RBC’s plans are awaiting to be finalised, it thanked residents for recycling over 2,500 tonnes of glass a year at the various “bring sites” across the Borough. This, it claims, contributed towards Rushcliffe having the best recycling rate in Nottinghamshire.
RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis says: “Thank you to residents for your continued brilliant efforts to recycle glass. Your commitment to recycling is hugely appreciated and I have raised our concerns over the delay in government direction on new kerbside collection arrangements, the potential impact on Rushcliffe and the time taken with our local MP, Ruth Edwards, who is engaged and will push for clarification on the detail, timescales and funding for local authorities.”
Cllr Inglis continues: “Remember, every time you recycle glass at a bring bank you can be assured that 100% of this valuable resource will be recycled back into glass products which will be back on a shop shelf within six weeks. This process is not always possible in other areas where glass is mixed with other glass or other recyclables and this glass is often then turned into generic products such as road aggregate. Our separate three compartment vehicle ensures the glass remains colour separated and it is then stored and sold back to the reprocessor where it is recycled back into glass bottles and jars. Your efforts mean our glass recycling rate is highly comparable to many kerbside collection schemes in other councils.”
Going forward, RBC is promising to work with other key partners, including the County Council and other Nottinghamshire districts, as it awaits significant changes and direction on how waste collections should be delivered under the new Environmental Act. These may include changes to how it collects and separates out food waste, plus greater national consistency over what can be recycled in our blue bins.
Cllr Inglis adds: “These possible changes could mean a significant redesign for our waste collection service including assessing our current vehicle fleet and what we may need moving forward. We will ensure residents are kept informed once we have a clear direction of when any changes may apply.”
We’ll bring you further updates here at RUDDINGTON.info.
