COUNCIL chiefs remain committed to upping recycling rates in Warwick district.
The clear message comes after a resident in Warwick town centre was alarmed to see both recycling and rubbish from a communal site being thrown in the same collection lorry during the festive season.
The resident wrote on social media: “Whilst I understand that the refuse collections are dealing with all the extra refuse from Christmas, excess recycling of packaging etc, it is disheartening to have witnessed both the red (recyling) and black (general household) communal bins being emptied into the same collection wagon.”
It prompted fears from other residents that Warwick District Council, on which the Green Party has most councillors, was not taking recycling seriously.
That was something WDC was quick to refute.
A spokesperson said: “Warwick District Council has maintained its separate recycling and general waste collections throughout the Christmas period in line with the 123+ collection schedules and contract which have been in operation since August 2022.
“We’re looking into the reported incident, but sometimes we do unfortunately have to tip kerbside recycling bins into general waste if they’ve been contaminated by things like nappies, food or liquids.”
Recycling rates in the district actually increased in the first year of operation
of the 123+ waste collection service.
They were up by almost seven per cent to 60.5 per cent, which was significantly higher than the national rate of 44 per cent.
Over the same period there was also a reduction of almost 4,400 tonnes in the amount of residual waste collected, equivalent to a double decker bus load every single day. This was due in part to the weekly kerbside food waste collections and a wider variety of materials being recycled.
