Teignbridge Tops the Devon Recycling League

For the first time Teignbridge residents are top of the Devon recycling league, recycling 18% more than the same period last year.

Cllr Gordon Hook, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for the Environment and Environmental Health said:

"This is fantastic news and we would like to thank all those households who have been recycling and composting. I am fully aware that there have been problems for some households and we as a Council will do all we can to address those concerns.  Recycling is an evolving process in the UK and bold and innovative steps are often required to move forward. These results show that the majority of households have adopted the new collection enthusiastically."

Teignbridge Council was the first of three Devon Authorities to launch the new organic waste collection system which sees food waste, cardboard and garden waste composted, and separate boxes for newspapers, magazines (and other white paper), food and drinks cans, empty aerosols, cloudy plastic milk bottles, and glass bottles and jars. Teignbridge residents are now recycling over 21% more than the lowest performing Council in Devon. Overall, Devon Councils have exceeded the target set by the Government by 9% illustrating the scale of improvements to, and awareness of, recycling across the County.

Cllr Hook continued:

"Despite the significant improvements to recycling performance in the District, the Council is confident that we can still improve on these figures. Every household can recycle over half of its waste using the new collection as many households already are. Reducing waste in the first place by avoiding overly packaged goods and items with a limited life such as disposable products is a great place to start. Waste growth continues in Teignbridge, as in many other Devon Authorities, with an additional 3,000 tonnes collected for this period compared with the previous year."

The Council aims to listen to the public and introduce increased recycling opportunities throughout the District.  As an example, 15 plastic bottle banks have been rolled out throughout the District for household plastic bottles.  Plans are also well underway to collect mobile phones and home printer cartridges to improve options for the household box recycling collection.

Legislation continues to focus on the reduction of compostable waste buried in landfill. "If I could ask one thing of householders" said Cllr Hook "it would be to compost as much as you can and avoid this type of waste in landfill. Compostable waste in landfill including food waste is one of the most harmful waste streams when buried; where on composting it turns it into a valuable product. We have the means to compost so let's make the most of it."

Recent initiatives aimed at encouraging recycling throughout the District include tourist recycling facilities, recycling litter bins in resorts and town centres, and the six month 'Banana in your bin' campaign rewarding those recycling and composting effectively. The future is certainly looking bright for recycling in Teignbridge. Effective participation by all is the key to continued success.

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