Residents living in St Edmundsbury will soon be able to recycle old batteries alongside their blue bin waste as part of a unique scheme to be trialled in the borough.
From April, people who live in St Edmundsbury will be given a container which can be filled with old batteries and hung from the handle of their blue bin on collection day. The trial, which was approved last night by the council’s Cabinet, is the first of its kind in the country and will run until March 2008.
The borough council was approached to take part in the experiment by the Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) after the UK, along with other EU member states, was set a target to recycle 25% of portable batteries by September 2012. The cost of the scheme will be met by WRAP.
Cllr Jeremy Farthing, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for the environment, said:
“This is something I have been pushing for over the past few years and we are thrilled that we are the lead authority in this important work. To be asked to take part in this exercise shows the regard in which St Edmundsbury’s record at recycling is held. Our commendable recycling figures already make us a national leader and this unique trial will cement that position still further. Our residents are already very supportive of our existing recycling scheme, and this convenient new way of reusing batteries will make it even easier for householders to think green while at the same time removing extremely hazardous waste from landfill.”
Until the trial begins, residents can still take their old batteries to household waste recycling centres. Once the trial starts, only portable batteries, and not batteries used in cars, will be collected.
ENDS
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
