Less dumping at WC

Wiltshire people have broken the record for recycling, going through the 50% level for the first time over the three-month period from July to September this year.

WC garbologists are expecting the full year figures to be slightly lower because of seasonal changes to garden waste collections, but longer term trends should continue to improve as people get used to the 'harmonised' collections across the county.

One side-effect of improved kerbside collections is that the Household Recycling Centres have more room to collect new types of material, for example in June, collection of dense plastics (items such as garden furniture, flowerpots, drain pipes and children's toys) plus other plastics (such as tubs and boxes, food trays, plastic film and wrappers) was introduced at all HRCs.

The combined effects of increased recycling and composting, and incineration, are diverting more waste from landfill.

From April to September the council sent 42,445 tonnes of municipal waste to landfill. This compares with 49,155 during the same period last year. Therefore, although total waste has increased by about 1%, the improvements to recycling and composting, coupled with a steady supply of waste to the Lakeside incinerator in Slough, have reduced landfill tonnage.

The council's target is for less than a quarter of waste to go to landfill by 2014. Further impetus towards this will be given by the opening of the Westbury Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant next year.