New Herefordshire recycling scheme a huge success » Local Government » 24dash.com

A recycling bin scheme launched in Herefordshire has been hailed as an immediate success after 240 tonnes of reusable rubbish was collected in its first week.

The figure dwarfed the amount collected this time last year, a mere 97 tonnes, as residents swapped plastic bags for wheelie bins at the beginning of the month.

Black sacks are still used for non-recyclable rubbish, but 98% of the county's transparent and purple bags previously used for recyclable have been replaced with designated bins and clear sacks.

The council promised to deliver equipment to the 2% of homes waiting to replace their old recycling bags this week.

Thirty-four new lorries collect recyclables every fortnight, alongside a weekly collection schedule for normal waste.

A free text message scheme to remind people of their next recycling collection day is available for residents who text "hcrecycle", their postcode and first line of address to 80800.

Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for the environment and strategic housing, said: "I am delighted the service has got off to good start and the fact we have more than doubled the amount of recyclable materials collected shows that people in the county are willing to do their bit for the environment as well.

"Our consultations with the public told us that, while people wanted to recycle more, they also wanted to keep their weekly refuse collection and I am delighted we have been able to do that, at a price that was even cheaper than the previous contract we had.

"We have also been exceptionally busy on the phone lines too and we thank everyone for their patience when trying to call waste management with queries about the new service. Please be assured we are working as quickly as possible to iron out any problems that have occurred due to the changes."