Boost For Dorset's Recycling

Bournemouth's been awarded millions of pounds in funding to build a new plant to process recycling.

£14.2million will be spent on developing and building a new joint recycling sorting facility in the local area in partnership with Dorset Waste Partnership so that recycling no longer has to be sent elsewhere for processing.  

A further £7.1 million will be spent on improving Big Bin Little Bin recycling and waste operations in Bournemouth. Options include introducing a food waste collection scheme and enhanced recycling and garden waste initiatives in the borough.  

Councillor Michael Filer, portfolio holder for Transport, Cleansing & Waste, said: ''This is tremendous news! I am delighted Bournemouth has been able to secure such a huge amount of money from the Department of Communities and Local Government to further enhance our recycling and waste schemes. We have an excellent and most envied track record when it comes to recycling and waste performance but we are keen to show we can do even better and this money will help us achieve our aims, especially with the help and support of our amazing residents.'' 

He added:''We enjoy close partnership working with neighbouring Councils which make up the Dorset Waste Partnership and are delighted to be in a position where we can all work together to finally develop a recycling facility on our doorstep. A local plant will bring substantial efficiency and cost savings to all partner authorities through having to avoid sending recyclable materials elsewhere in the country.'' 

Councillor Mrs Hilary Cox, Chair of the Dorset Waste Partnership Joint Committee, said: "We are delighted the Government has awarded this money to help Bournemouth and Dorset work together to improve recycling and efficiency. A shared recycling facility will help reduce costs and support a circular economy, where materials sorted by Dorset residents are recycled and reused in Dorset.  This will also encourage new local green enterprises to use materials collected in Dorset to make everything from compost to clean energy."

Currently only 19 per cent of Bournemouth's waste ends up in landfill compared to the national average of 44 per cent.

Roll out of a possible food waste collection or other recycling initiatives in Bournemouth will begin next year.

In October the Dorset Waste Partnership introduced food and separate glass collections in Christchurch and East Dorset as part of its new 'Recycle for Dorset' service, which will be rolled out across the Dorset County Council region by 2015.  The recycling rate in Christchurch doubled to more than 70 per cent in the first month of the service.