Plastic Bottle Banks To Feel The Squeeze
| Published: 26th June 2008 21:27 |
North Hertfordshire District Council is asking for the help of local residents to encourage everyone to become better recyclers.
They are asking for help from the public at the recycling sites especially the plastic bottle banks where sometimes people leave bags full of bottles at the side of the banks rather than putting them through the openings into the bank.
Councillor Lynda Needham, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said, "If people don't bother putting their bottles in the bank, it gives the impression that the bank is full so the next people don't bother either and the site soon gets messy. In fact it is rare that extra bottles can't be squeezed into a bank, especially if people squash them first. We have had such a great response to plastic bottle recycling from the vast majority of our residents and we are hoping that their enthusiasm can help us get this message across."
When plastic banks are full, bottles will be bulging out of the opening. In addition most banks have openings on two sides and residents are urged to check both before concluding they are full.
Phone numbers are displayed on all the banks to allow people to advise the Council or its contractors if they are full, and staff visit every one of the sites at least on a weekly basis to check if they are being emptied regularly enough.
The council has significantly increased the emptying frequency of the banks and will target more inspections at the problem sites to help ensure that they are always usable.
Since Plastic banks have been introduced into North Hertfordshire a staggering 8.7 million bottles have been recycled, saving enough power to power a standard 60w light bulb for 3,000 years.
For a list of plastic bottle collection sites in Hitchin and the surrounding villages see Green Issues.
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