Bye bye to litter in lay-bys
Cherwell District Council is extending its pioneering anti-litter and recycling scheme by targeting drivers on the A41. The council has installed twelve combined waste and recycling bins in lay-bys on the dual carriageway between the M40 and Bicester, giving anyone taking a break while travelling the cross county route a great opportunity to dispose of their rubbish. It also means drivers will see a cleaner, tidier stretch of road when they drive through Cherwell.
Multi purpose bins, funded by Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, allow drivers to dispose of recyclable paper, plastic bottles and cans as well as non-recyclable rubbish. The scheme builds on the success of a pilot project on the Cherwell section of the A34, the first such scheme in Oxfordshire, and on Cherwell’s well-used Kidlington commuter recycling bins. The schemes prove that Cherwell residents want to continue their good recycling habits when they're out and about.
Cherwell’s portfolio holder for community, health and environment, Councillor George Reynolds, said: "As well as further improving Cherwell’s strong record on recycling, the A41 and A34 schemes will make a big difference to how tidy the roadsides are. And the popular Kidlington commuter recycling campaign is having a positive impact on our anti-litter efforts there.
"And at a time when some counties are struggling to process recyclable waste, I can assure everyone who uses these bins that Cherwell is not stockpiling or landfilling it - it's all going on to be used again."
Local drivers have already welcomed the bins and praised the idea. Banbury haulage company Coles and Son’s transport manager, Gary Coles told the council: "Cherwell's lay-by recycling scheme is a great idea. It means I can recycle newspapers, cans and plastic bottles even when I'm on the move."
Recent reports say that litter encourages litter*. The council estimates that between an extra 12 and 14 tonnes of waste a year will be recycled due to the new bins. Less litter will make a big impact on the look of that stretch of the A41. And that should discourage people from throwing more litter. Cherwell’s cleansing team reports that litter on the A34 has plummeted by around 50 per cent since the bins were deployed. It means a big saving in time and helps reduce the council's costs, keeping council tax low.
In the year to 31 March 2008, Cherwell achieved a recycling rate of 48 per cent - up around 3 per cent on the year before. Cherwell is the leading recycling council in the South East and one of the top 30 recycling councils in the country. This year the council has set itself a target to collect an extra 6,500 tonnes of recyclable waste. That’s the annual amount of waste that could be recycled that's still going into green bins.
