30 June 2017

Woking’s waste and recycling gurus took their time to shine last night, (Wednesday 28 June), as they swept up a one of the most sought after trophies in the industry, commending them for Innovation in Communal Recycling, at the National Recycling Awards, held in London Hilton, Park Lane.

The award was in recognition of successful changes made to the waste disposal units located in communal areas of residential flats. The award-winning, yet cost-effective changes include: the installation of recycling bins with a smaller hole at the top, and the distribution of reusable bags amongst residents, to encourage them to leave the bag out of the bin. Plastic bags in recycling bins were previously one of the primary sources of contamination in communal recycling areas, leading to the rejection of large quantities of waste once it reached the depot.

The appearance of the waste and recycling areas has been improved with fencing, lighting and signage, as well as more attractive housing units for food bins. Waste disposal information is now readily available in 12 languages, thanks to a fully translated booklet.

Bespoke electrical appliance, battery and textile bins have also been introduced in a move that makes Woking the only local authority in the UK to offer this service to residents in a communal setting.

Many of these changes have been successfully introduced throughout the Borough, receiving positive feedback from residents, with more to be rolled out across the Borough over the coming months. This has a potential to save around £45,000 in waste and recycling costs as well as improving the experience of Borough residents.

Robin Latchem, editor of Materials Recycling World, said: “The glitzy awards evening may now be over but our winners will be justly entitled to bask in the glow of their success for the next 12 months. A terrific night of celebration marked out a superb set of winners – we congratulate them all and thank everyone who entered.”

Cllr Beryl Hunwicks, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Waste and Recycling, said: “We are immensely proud of our recycling collection services in Woking. This award is incredibly prestigious and the competition in the Innovation category was very strong. It is undoubtedly very well deserved. When wheelie bins were introduced, just over ten years ago, residents could only recycle 29 percent of their waste via their regular collections. Now, they can recycle over 60 percent of their household waste through kerbside collections.

“If everyone plays their part and takes that extra bit of time to sort their waste before they dispose of it, then not only will this save the Council thousands of pounds in landfill charges that can then be spent elsewhere, we can also continue to grow towards a fully sustainable community, which has the lowest possible impact on our environment.”

The National Recycling Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and best practice across the sector, covering every aspect of waste management from recycling, to recovery and reuse. Judged by experts from across the industry, they are held in very high esteem.

For all details of recycling and waste disposal in Woking, please visit www.woking.gov.uk/waste

Article by Woking Borough Council