Residents across Basingstoke and Deane are recycling more and throwing less away, according to new figures from the borough council.
Since the launch of the weekly food waste recycling service last October, the amount of rubbish going into household grey bins has started to fall. In the first three months alone, around 1,065 tonnes of food waste were collected separately and turned into green energy and fertiliser – roughly the same weight as 177 elephants.
Food waste is not the only area seeing progress. A record number of households signed up for garden waste collections last summer, and with the growing season approaching, that figure is expected to rise again this year. The scheme allows grass cuttings, leaves and other garden waste to be turned into compost rather than ending up in landfill.
Residents are also continuing to make use of their recycling services, with green bins used for items such as paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, tins, cans and aerosols, while glass bottles and jars can be placed in green recycling boxes.
However, the council says there is still more to do. Government targets require the borough to halve the amount of rubbish thrown away and double recycling rates in the years ahead. Hampshire County Council, which manages waste disposal, is planning to introduce recycling for plastic pots, tubs, trays and cartons in 2028. Until then, the focus remains on encouraging residents to recycle everything that can already be collected.
At the moment, more than a quarter of the rubbish in household bins across the borough could actually be recycled.
Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services and Housing, Councillor Laura James, said residents had made a strong start with the new food waste service and many were now recycling their kitchen scraps every week.
She added that while the council waits for new recycling options to become available, it is vital that people make full use of the services already in place. If every household in the borough recycled just one extra item each week – such as a plastic bottle or cereal box – it would add up to around 4.2 million additional items recycled every year.
More information about what can and cannot be recycled is available on the council’s website.
