City Centre event makes recycling a goal

To celebrate National Recycle Week (Monday, 2 June – Monday, 9 June) Carlisle City Council, Resource Cumbria staff and the Environment Agency are joining forces to encourage local residents to have a ‘green’ summer.

A special recycling event will be held in Carlisle’s city centre pedestrianised area on Wednesday 4 June with the aim of asking residents to pledge to recycle one more thing. Recycling activities will include a demonstration of compost bin drumming by a local school. Free re-usable cotton bags will also be on offer, while stocks last, between 10am and 2pm.

Carlisle City Cllr Ray Bloxham, Portfolio holder for Environment and Infrastructure said:

"The aim of our Recycle event is to encourage people to recycle more using either their kerbside collections or at local recycling centres. Carlisle residents have a great track record and we are one of the best performing recycling areas in the UK, but we are always striving to increase the amount of waste we recycle."

Since the introduction of a new look waste collection scheme in Carlisle last March, residents are recycling nearly half their household rubbish. Carlisle City Council is reporting a dramatic rise in recycling rates since the scheme was introduced to the first round of households. Carlisle residents recycled a staggering 48.78% of their waste in 2007/2008, compared to 34.51% in 2006/2007.

Carlisle City Council has expanded the range of materials that can be recycled. This includes plastic, cardboard, glass, paper and garden waste.

Plans are also in place to expand the number of sites where plastics can be recycled. Priority has been given to those areas that are currently not covered by the kerbside collection of plastic and cardboard.