Recycling advisers will take to streets of Otley (From Wharfedale Observer)

Recycling advisers will take to streets of Otley

6:18pm Tuesday 23rd October 2007 in Local news By Andrea Hardaker

Recycling czars will be taking to the streets of Otley this month to find out which residents need more help sorting through their refuse.

Between now and December, the recycling advisers from Leeds City Council will be looking at the waste being put out for collection to find out how many people use their green bins and whether there is any confusion about what to put in them.

The advisers will be working with refuse collection crews across the city to identify households which may need to be included in an education campaign to help the council boost its recycling rates.

From January those households identified during this study, might then be visited by the recycling advisers to give the residents the opportunity to find out more about the practicalities of recycling and the importance of doing their bit.

Councillor Steve Smith, executive member responsible for environmental services said: "We are grateful to those households that recycle already and there are a lot of them.

"Unfortunately their good intentions are often thwarted because others are not aware how to use their green bins correctly.

"We need to find out who needs our help and gather some basic information so we can target our educational work effectively.

"Residents can be assured that this work is to help educate, not enforce."

Leeds is committed to increasing recycling and is aiming to more than double the amount of household waste it recycles from 22.3 per cent last year to 50 percent in 2020.

Coun Smith said: "This can only be achieved if householders are aware of and make full use of all the council facilities available to them.

"To help the city achieve their targets, the council is launching this educational campaign so that residents can be confident that they are recycling the right items and are doing their bit."