In March 2004 Calderdale Council made a major commitment to promote recycling.

Despite pressures on budget that all local authorities have to face, they approved expenditure of an additional £½ million to pay for the extension of the kerbside collection service to almost every household in the district.

The objective was to make the recycling opportunity available to a much larger proportion of the population; and to raise recycling performance in order to meet the government target of 18% by 2005.

It is really in recognition of this commitment by the Council that the government body WRAP then approved the grant that is now permitting the launch of the new Calderdale recycling promotion. The Council has since been successful in obtaining another government grant: to assist the process of mapping out the Council’s long-term waste strategy

The major extension to the kerbside service funded by the Council started in mid November. More than 75,000 households can now have at least two recyclable materials collected from their kerbside in special boxes or bags every fortnight. Another 7,000 households will be added early in the New Year.

The public’s positive response to the scheme has delighted Calderdale Council. Waste Manager Malcolm Akroyd said:

“Thank you Calderdale.”

“We have been overwhelmed by the amounts of paper and glass which have been put out in the first week of the new recycling collection scheme. So much so that we have been experiencing difficultly getting to every house on the programmed day. Be assured that we will collect your boxes and bags either on the programmed day or the next day”.

“Focsa Services, who are performing the service, have now committed extra resources in order to make collections on the programmed date at the start of this service and for the Christmas period”.

Councilor Graham Reason, portfolio holder responsible for recycling said:

“The introduction of the kerbside collection scheme to 75,000 households is a major achievement.

“The people of Calderdale have already shown great support for the scheme and we’re confident that the 18% recycling target can be met, and possibly exceeded.”