Council urged to extend recycling

Council urged to extend recycling

13 November 2013

DOWN Council has been urged to change its policy on the distribution of brown recycling bins across the district.

Under current policy, people who live outside 30mph zones in some rural areas are not provided with a brown bin. Councillor Terry Andrews says this is unfair.

He questioned the local authority’s brown bin policy at last week’s meeting of Down Council’s Environment Committee. Councillor Andrews said people in rural areas pay the same rates as those in major towns and are entitled to expect the same service.

“It is wrong that we have one rule for ratepayers in our major towns and large villages and another for those in rural areas. People in rural areas generate garden waste and should be given a brown bin to put it in,” he continued,

Councillor Andrews said while there would be a cost associated with extending the brown bin scheme, he believes it’s something Down Council should do before it merges with its neighbour in Newry and Mourne in 2015.

“Waste from brown bins is recycled to provide compost. If we collect more waste and produce more compost it could be sold to generate cash which would offset the cost of extending the brown bin scheme across the district,” he suggested.

“I have no doubt that such imaginative thinking would be supported by ratepayers, many of whom are perplexed that despite paying the same rates as others across the district, they are not entitled to the same service. We need to address this issue.”

Councillor Andrews said he wants council officers to provide him with details of the cost of ensuring every home in the district has a brown bin.

He added: “With increased focus on recycling, it seems mad not to allow all our ratepayers to recycle their garden waste to produce compost which can provide an additional income stream for Down Council.”