OWP Annual Report
Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP) this week publishes its annual report demonstrating further strides taken towards more sustainable waste management.
Recycling has been dominated by packaging such as paper, glass and cans over the last few years, but the annual report notes how waste food is now being tackled by local councils in a bid to further reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.
Cllr John Tanner, from Oxford City Council has chaired the partnership for the past two years and hands over this role to his counterpart at the county council Cllr Ian Hudspeth. John says:
“I’ve enjoyed taking the lead in dealing with Oxfordshire’s rubbish for the last couple of years. Over that time we’ve raised recycling rates dramatically and introduced new food waste collections. Despite our political differences we all work well together. This year for the first time Oxfordshire residents are expected to recycle more than they send to landfill. But we can do even better and I wish my successor Cllr Hudspeth well in his new role as chair.”
The report shows how strong progress has been made against OWP objectives and how recycling targets have been exceeded. Changes in collections and the introduction of new food waste collections and processing facilities can be credited for this, with South Oxfordshire playing a major part with their new kerbside scheme recycling 65% of the district’s waste.
Ian adds: “We’ve done so much in Oxfordshire to recycle our waste and will continue to build on these successes. But to make Oxfordshire an even greener county, we’ve got to try and reduce the amount we throw away. By supporting individuals, community groups and businesses we hope to create an even more sustainable future.”
