Happy recycling sack comes with a Christmas challenge
Residents across Cherwell will get a special Christmas delivery next week. Cherwell District Council is delivering free “happy recycling“ Christmas sacks to help residents recycle the extra packaging and wrapping that they have at this time of year. And it comes with a Christmas challenge - to try to reduce and reuse before you recycle.
The new initiative, part funded by Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, is a response to what people said during a recent doorstepping recycling campaign. More than 9,400 homes across Cherwell were visited to talk to residents about recycling, composting and what Cherwell is doing to help tackle climate change.
One issue raised was running out of space in blue bins and boxes at Christmas. So Cherwell is giving away clear recycling sacks for extra Christmas recycling capacity. One will be delivered to every home in the district over the coming weeks. More sacks can be collected from Bicester Town Council, Kidlington Parish Council or Cherwell’s headquarters at Bodicote House. The Council’s recycling team will also be handing out the sacks at their roadshows at Bicester Farmers’ Market on 11 December, Bicester Sheep Street on 13 December and Kidlington Watts Way on 20 December.
Cherwell’s Portfolio Holder for community, health and environment, Councillor George Reynolds, said: “The door stepping drive made a big difference to our recycling campaign. Already people we visited have ordered almost 600 new blue boxes and more than 60 blue bins, so that they can recycle more. And in response to concerns about extra wrapping and packaging at Christmas we’ve introduced the new clear sacks.
“But I would also like to issue a challenge to residents. Think about choosing low packaging options and reuse wherever possible. And reuse Christmas cards, wrapping and packaging so that you have as little as possible to put in your blue bins, boxes and the new sack.”
In the year to 31 March 2008, Cherwell achieved a recycling rate of around 48% - that’s up around 3% on the previous year. That rate makes Cherwell the leading recycling council in the south east and puts it in the top 30 recycling councils in the country.
