Surrey County Council claims to have received a sailing boat, an oxygen tank, and also a coffin from residents of its boroughs that have dropped off their items at various recycling points. The organisation said that an eight-foot polystyrene snowman, as well as a caravan and an amount of postage stamps capable of filling two vans have also been left at recycling centres. Thankfully, a tortoise that was tipped into a waste bin was spotted before being crushed. Surrey council says residents' efforts have helped them to reach a pre-set target of recycling of least 50 per cent of household waste as early ... Full Story

Thousands of residents across Barnsley are set to benefit from a local recycling scheme being expanded. Barnsley Council will be expanding its existing kerbside recycling scheme, which focuses mainly on plastic bottles, so that it includes an additional 36,000 households. As of September, ... Full Story

People who leave out additional rubbish in areas of North Devon won’t have it collected by local council binmen.Any excessive waste that is left in bags close to a household's bin is going to be left behind, as part of a trial run by  North Devon District Council.The authority said that from the 39,000 homes scattered across the district, around 30% leave extra bags out alongside their bin.Should the pilot scheme prove successful, it is going to be tried around the rest of the region.The council says that it wants ... Full Story

A row has flamed up between local authorities across Surrey, in relation to controversial plans that will see the extension of a waste recycling plant. At present, SITA Surrey has been continuing its work, on behalf of SCC, Surrey County Council, which involves developing a disputed "eco park" on Shepperton's Charlton Lane. Last month, councillors from the mainly Tory-run council approved the plans. In opposition though, Spelthorne Borough Council, otherwise known as SBC, said that it would be greatly damaging for the area. The facility is going to feature a gasification chamber, capable of heating waste so that gas can be produced ... Full Story

Recycling figures in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire have reached an all-time high with 40 per cent of all household waste recycled for two months on the trot. The city's council claims that rates for both April and May became the highest ever achieved for one of northern England's largest metropolitan areas. April's recycling figures were 40.4 per cent, with May's figure reaching a just-as-impressive 40.1 per cent. By 2020, Leeds City Council wants a target of 50 per cent of the city's rubbish recycled as part of its reduce, reuse and recycle push. Every week, at least 500,000 bins are emptied ... Full Story

Controversial plans that will see the extension of a Surrey waste and recycling plant have been approved by local councillors. On the behalf of the SCC (Surrey County Council) SITA Surrey has been attempting to develop an 'eco park' on Charlton Lane in Shepperton. The facility is going to feature a gasification chamber, a device that heats waste in order to produce gas. Residents living nearby have repeatedly expressed fears that the extension will lead to increased amounts of pollution, as well as traffic problems. Last year, a 1,600-signature petition against its plans was handed to SCC. Local borough councillors in Spelthorne have ... Full Story

More homes in the town of St Helier will be able to recycle unwanted waste as a result of the ongoing kerbside recycling scheme has been extended. In July 2010, the recycling scheme was trialled in La Pouquelaye. Following success, it was then expanded to Mont Cochon on the 28th of February, before spreading to La Grande Route de St Jean, and Trinity Hill on the 18th of April. From Monday the scheme will start in Havre des Pas, selected areas of South Hill, and Mont Millais. Properties across these areas will receive coloured bags, as well as a leaflet that explains ... Full Story

A local authority in Merseyside has managed to slash £900,000 from its yearly budget through negotiating an innovative and new recycling contract. Under new terms that have been agreed by Sefton Council, all recycling services will remain the same and are going ame and are going to be carried out by one particular company called Palm Recycling. This means residents should continue putting out glass, bottles, cans, paper, textiles and also food waste on the exact same days they put out normal rubbish. Despite this latest development, the authority is still forced to make overall savings of around £20m in the 2011/12 ... Full Story

  Children in Bolton have made calls for an arson-struck pub to be specially-transformed into a new recycling centre. The empty pub in question, The Prince Rupert, in Morris Green, a suburb of the Lancashire town, was targeted on the 1st of May. Around the local area, it is widely believed that someone first broke into the building before setting it alight. Year five pupils of the nearby Lever Edge Primary Academy have made calls for urgent improvements to be made ... Full Story

Tesco supermarkets has decided to remove recycling bins and bottle banks from their car parks in a move that will see councils lose out on millions of pounds’-worth of revenue. With some single councils collecting as much as £80,000 a year from such recycling facilities, the decision has been branded as corporate greed. The paper, plastic and glass recycling bins that are usually situated in the supermarket’s car parks earn council credits which can be exchanged for cash payments. Tesco has now, however, written a letter to all councils asking them to remove the facilities by the beginning of May. The ... Full Story

Six recycling sites in Greater Manchester are under threat of closure in a move that hopes to save £1 million for a waste disposal company. Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) has revealed that two of the sites earmarked for closure are in the Bolton area, which already has limited recycling facilities. According to the Bolton News, the sites threatened with closure include Unions Road and Black Horse Street. Councillor Ray Barrow, who is also a member of GMWDA, however claimed that the centres would be replaced with better facilities, but failed to reveal any further details. Speaking to the local newspaper, ... Full Story

Green transport projects between businesses and local authorities are set to benefit from £560 million of government funding. While publishing its white paper entitled ‘Creating Growth, Cutting Carbon, the Coalition government released details of its Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF). The scheme aims to cut C02 emissions by encouraging more people to use public transport, walk and cycle. The government announced that it is actively seeking bids between councils and businesses, adding that any local authority outside of London can apply for the new funding. The scheme was first introduced in October last year in the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. The aim ... Full Story