Recycling rise needs to top 10%

Thursday 28th January 2010, 2:29PM GMT.

bernard flouquet RECYCLING rates must increase by more than 10% during the next 11 months if Guernsey is to reach targets agreed by the States.

But the Public Services Department failed to fully explain how its planned initiatives would help meet the 50% target for household and commercial recycling.

Minister Bernard Flouquet (pictured) was questioned in the States and confirmed the department would look to push ahead with plans to improve bring-bank facilities, providing sites at more convenient locations and offering assistance to those unable to use existing services.

Responding to questions from Deputy David De Lisle, Deputy Flouquet admitted that 50% had always been a challenging target, ‘but one that the Public Services Department has always sought to achieve’.

The department announced yesterday that islanders recycled 36.5% of their household waste last year – a figure that would have been 39% if 700 tonnes of garden material had not been burned in a fire at Chouet.

‘In the three years since Public Services took on responsibility for waste management, the level of household recycling has risen from 26.7% to 36.5% and would have been even higher last year had we not had had the problem of the fire at the green waste site.’

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1
Mr T

January 28, 2010 at 4:28 pm

Of course the Public Services department failed to reach their target.
When you don’t have kerbside recycling and you actually CHARGE to recycle for business and states departments and anyone who is trying to recycle non-household do they really think people will recycle more?!

Guernsey yet again needs to get with the times and start joining in with the rest of the world to encourage islanders to recycle, not charging to recycle would be a good start!

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2
GG

January 28, 2010 at 4:30 pm

If they want to increase recycling, they’re going to have to be emptied a lot more. They’re all getting full, and cardboard and other waste is just flying around.

Those that earn thousands of pounds worth of profit from recycling should be made to clean it up!

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3
GG

January 28, 2010 at 4:32 pm

@Mr T, it’s usually cheaper not to recycle for businesses too, as they can simply order a skip, chuck it all in and it’s done. Recycling, they’d have to ask their employees to go down to the recycling place, which is a waste of time + money.

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4
Paul

January 29, 2010 at 11:29 am

Businesses should be allowed to recycle their rubbish for free. I am sure if this was implemented the figures would easily reach past the 50% mark.

Recycling skips should be offered to businesses that produce high volumes of recyclables. The time = money excuse could not be used then.

Many companies don’t even bother because it would be too much of a headache for them implementing.

Condor ferries is an example where large volumes could be saved. All new companies need to be educated with initiatives put in place to make this as easy and timeless as possible.

What about recycling depots at every industrial estate for a start.

Mini banks placed at every school for the mothers and children doing the daily trips would be another good step.

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