From: "John Reynolds" To: "Girton Website" ; "Dry Drayton News" ; "Bar Hill News" ; "Bar Hill Parish Council" ; "Bar Hill website" ; "Binnie Harvey-Boxworth" ; "Dry Drayton Web Site" ; "Girton Parish Council" ; "Girton Parish News" ; "Irish Nick-Dry Drayton" ; "Lolworth Parish Council" Subject: CAMBRIDGESHIRE IS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD IN RECYCLING - Fluorescent tubes Date: 12 August 2007 13:45 CAMBRIDGESHIRE IS LIGHT YEARS AHEAD IN RECYCLING State of the art recycling facilities for energy saving bulbs and fluorescent tubes are available at Cambridgeshire County Council's Recycling Centres. Waste chiefs are reminding residents to keep fluorescent tubes out of landfill sites and make the most of innovative recycling facilities to protect their local environment. Fluorescent tubes are classified as hazardous because they contain mercury, which is harmful for health and highly pollutant for water and soil. In 2005, the County Council contracted specialist recycling company WISER Recycling Ltd to collect, fragment and recycle the used light tubes and bulbs from the recycling centres. The St Ives based Company has installed purpose designed storage cabinets at the sites and uses its TubeEater machine to fragment the tubes on site when the cabinet is full. The fragmented tubes are taken to a recycling plant to separate the mercury, glass and aluminium. Over 97% of the tubes' materials are recycled Last year, we recycled nearly 15,000 fluorescent tubes and energy saving bulbs. There are additional environmental benefits associated to the TubeEater such as reduction of air emissions associated with transport as 10 vehicle journeys are saved and it has shown high safety standards. Councillor John Reynolds, Lead Member for Planning and Waste for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "Protecting our local environment is not only a priority for the council but for our residents too. Working together we have increase recycling rates to the highest levels in the UK and above some of our European neighbours. I would like to encourage residents keep up the good work and to use this facility as well as the other recycling services we provide". Notes for editors: 1. Cambridgeshire County Council has continuously been increasing the range of materials accepted at the recycling centres for recycling. Such improvements include: battery, mobile phones and ink cartridges in January 2005 and plasterboard in June 2006. 2. Sites accepting fluorescent tubes and energy saving light bulbs equipped with the TubeEater: ¨ Alconbury Recycling Centre. Woodwalton Rd, PE28 4JH. ¨ Bluntisham Recycling Centre. Heath Rd, PE17 3LQ. ¨ Grunty Fen Recycling Centre. Pools Rd, CB6 2JE. ¨ March Recycling Centre. Hundred Rd, PE15 8QJ. ¨ Milton Recycling Centre. Butt Lane, CB4 6DQ. ¨ St Neots Recycling Centre. Huntingdon St, PE19 1BG. ¨ Thriplow Recycling Centre. Gravel Pit Hill. SG8 7HZ. ¨ Whittlesey Recycling Centre. New Rd, PE17 1SZ. ¨ Wisbech Recycling Centre. Boleness Rd, PE13 2RB. 3. Buckden Recycling Centre is the only site where the TubeEater facility is not available, however, residents are still welcome to bring in their fluorescent tubes. 4. Wiser has established an exclusive contract with the Canadian inventor of the TubeEater to supply and distribute throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, and is seeking to establish itself at the forefront of the electrical recycling market. For further information about WISER and its services visit the website at www.wiserrecycling.co.uk or phone 01480 462232. The main components and their markets are; Glass, this is used in aggregates. Aluminium, this is sold to metal recyclers. Mercury, this undergoes further refining and is used in fluorescent tube. John Reynolds -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.13/946 - Release Date: 10/08/2007 15:50