EXCLUSIVE: Blackburn with Darwen council has halted a trial collection service with Terracycle in light of a BBC documentary questioning the scheme’s efficiency.
The Lancashire local authority is thought to be the first to make such a move, with the webpage detailing information about the trial pulled while the Panorama programme was on.The trial, which was launched on 23 May, was supposed to last for six months. Residents were being given the opportunity to recycle ‘hard-to-recycle items’ such as biscuit wrappers, Pringles tubes, plastic toothbrushes and coffee bags.
These are not included in the council’s kerbside collection because of difficulties and costs associated with recycling complex materials.
The trial would have seen residents drop off bags of these items at their local household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) to then be recycled by Terracycle.
However, Stuart Hammond, environmental and sustainability manager at Blackburn with Darwen council, explained to letsrecycle.com that the council had decided to halt its trial while the BBC One programme was on.
It is currently waiting to get clarity from its waste contractor Suez and Terracycle on whether they want to continue the trial. Mr Hammond added that the council would like for the trial to reopen. Suez has a 30% stake in Terracycle in Europe.
The news was confirmed by Tony Watson, head of environment for Blackburn with Darwen Council, who said: “We will always do everything we can to encourage residents in Blackburn with Darwen to recycle. The Council, like many others across the country, has declared a Climate Emergency, and recycling is one of the many ways residents can help us work towards being carbon neutral.
No comments:
Post a Comment