Innovation award for waste collection service
The waste collection service in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse has scooped a national award for environmental innovation.
The service, which the two district councils run jointly, was named winner of the Environmental Innovation Award at the Government Business Awards last Thursday (17 February).
The award is designed to recognise a local authority scheme that demonstrates innovation in environmental practice and increases the awareness of environmental issues to residents.
The collection service, which is provided by waste contractors Verdant, was launched in South Oxfordshire in June 2009 and in the Vale last October.
In both districts the recycling rate has soared since the introduction of the service, which features a weekly collection of food waste and fortnightly collections of rubbish and recycling on alternate weeks. As well as collecting food waste separately for the first time in both districts - which alone helps to divert tonnes of waste from landfill - the new service has also enabled residents to recycle more items at the kerbside.
During the first 12 months of the new service in South Oxfordshire the council’s recycling rate rose from around 42 per cent to 70 per cent on average. During the first three months of the service in the Vale an average around 70 per cent of waste collected was recycled compared with 38 per cent the three months before.
As well as leading to an improved recycling rate, the service is also helping both councils to make significant financial savings through reduced running costs and additional recycling income. The service is also designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible with crews making fewer journeys and using fuel-efficient waste trucks to help reduce carbon emissions from vehicles.
Cllr David Dodds, Cabinet Member responsible for waste services in South Oxfordshire, said: "We are so proud of the way this service is working in South Oxfordshire and the consistently high recycling rate that is being achieved. It is a real success story for all involved, from our residents for their commitment to recycling to the hard work of our contractors and council staff."
Cllr Jenny Hannaby, Executive Member with responsibility for waste in the Vale, said: "We are delighted with the initial success of the service in the Vale, and this award is the icing on the cake. However this success has only been possible thanks to the support of our residents and their hard work recycling so much of their waste. I would like to thank them for this and urge them to continue their good work so we can maintain our excellent recycling rate."
Their comments were echoed by Verdant regional manager Mick Gumble who said: "Achieving recycling rates that are probably the best in England requires teamwork involving the local residents, the councils, my collections crews and depot staff to make a truly unbeatable team."
Notes for editors:
In November last year South Oxfordshire District Council was named the winner of the Best Improved Recycling Rate at the LARAC awards, which are designed to recognise the hard work carried out by councils and recycling officers across the country in reducing waste and driving up recycling rates. A communications campaign to inform residents in South Oxfordshire about the changes to their waste collections won a Green Award for best direct mail campaign and the service was also highly commended at the 2010 Municipal Journal Awards in the Environmental Innovation Achievement of the Year category.