Mendip residents are recycling almost half of their waste according to the latest figures - a new record for the district.
Mendip District Council has announced that for the first six months of this financial year (April to September) its recycling figure reached 42.3 per cent. This is boosted further to 48.9 per cent when the four Household Waste Recycling Centres in Mendip, which are managed by Somerset County Council, are taken into account.
And Mendip District Council wants the public to help boost that figure even further this Christmas. With less than a month to go until the big day, Mendip hopes Christmas cards, wrapping paper and festive leftovers will find their way into recycling boxes.
Most household waste can be recycled, either through black kerbside boxes, food waste containers, home composters, or at Household Waste Recycling Centres across Somerset.
The remaining waste should be placed into wheelie bins, which are collected every fortnight.
Recycling in Mendip has been given a further boost after the launch of a pilot scheme to collect cardboard and plastic at the kerbside. The project, being funded by the council's waste partners ECT Recycling, started in September this year and will run until October 2007.
If successful, the scheme could be rolled out to the rest of the district. Those properties involved in the pilot project have received a letter giving them more details.
Mendip District Council's portfolio holder for planning and environment, Councillor Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, said: "The excellent recycling rate speaks volumes, and demonstrates the hard work and commitment that Mendip District Council has put in to recycling.
"Within four years, we have managed to encourage residents to join us in our recycling campaign to ensure that our rates have jumped from 8.6 per cent to 30 per cent at the end of last year. And this latest record figure shows that we are continuing to be hugely successful."
Charles Uzzell, Mendip District Council's business manager for planning and environment, said: "Reaching this new recycling level for Mendip is fantastic news. By the end of March this year, we had to achieve our recycling target of 25 per cent as set out by the government. We have smashed through that and continue to grow on our recycling success.
"The government's aim is to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill sites to help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases being released, and also to curb the amount of waste liquids being released from the biodegradable material into nearby water courses. By taking action and working hard to promote recycling across Mendip, we are able to fulfill these key targets "
If you any questions about recycling or would like information on what items can and can not be recycled, contact Mendip District Council on 01749 648999.