Date: 26 November 2007 17:30

CAMBRIDGESHIRE IS TOP OF THE RUBBISH HEAP..AGAIN

Environmentally friendly Cambridgeshire residents lead the country when it comes to recycling and reducing the tonnes of
 household rubbish ending in landfill.
That is according to the latest Government figures which say Cambridgeshire County Council has the highest recycling and 
composting rate of any Shire County or unitary authority. More than 48% of rubbish was recycled in the 2006/07 financial year. 
It is the fourth year running that Cambridgeshire has led the country when it comes to recycling and composting waste.

The County Council also leads the way in the UK for the lowest amount of rubbish per head that is thrown in the bin and is the
 highest authority of its kind in the country for recycling green waste - such as food and green garden waste. Peterborough City 
 Council comes a close second for recycling of green waste.

This means that not only does the County compost and recycle more but it is also reducing the amount of rubbish each household does throw away.

For authorities that collect rubbish Huntingdonshire District Council is rated fourth in the UK for recycling and composting and South 
Cambridgeshire District Council sixth. Both recycling and composting 51.7 and 51 per cent of their rubbish respectively

South Cambridgeshire is the top Council of its type in the UK for recycling green waste - recycling 32.7 per cent while Fenland ninth 
in the country - recycling 27.8 per cent.

Fenland District Council also makes it into the top ten for reducing the amount of waste thrown away per household - down by 28 per cent 
for 06/07. The District is also third in the country for improving composting and recycling rates - up 16.6 per cent to a total of 47.4 per cent.

Cambridgeshire Councils have put reducing, reusing and recycling rubbish as a top priority and have been working in partnership to tackle 
this problem and reduce climate change.

It costs councils millions of pounds each year to throw rubbish into landfill where it rots and produces gases that harm the environment and 
add to climate change
 
Cambridgeshire County Councillor John Reynolds, Lead Member for Planning and Regional Matters, said: "Improving recycling and tackling 
climate change is a joint effort from all of the councils to residents themselves. We have listened carefully to residents about how to encourage 
people to reduce, re-use and recycle and put new measures into place. The fact that we lead the country again shows how passionately we all 
believe in reducing the tonnes of rubbish that needlessly ends up in landfill. With the building of new and modern facilities at Waterbeach even 
more rubbish will be recycled. I would like to thank all our partners and the people of Cambridgeshire for continuing to recycle and doing their 
bit for the environment." 

John Reynolds