Oxfordshire County Council remains one of best counties for waste disposal

Figures compiled by the Department for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that Oxfordshire was top of the tables for recycling and composting, and had the lowest amount of residual waste produced per household in the country.

Oxfordshire is pursuing a clear vision for sustainable waste management and resource efficiency, working in partnership with the district councils, residents and waste management companies to reduce waste and to maximise reuse, recycling and composting.

Through the Community Action Group (CAG) Project, the Council supports over 1,000 environmental events a year run by local communities. This includes over 70 swap shops, where everyday items are given a new home instead of being thrown away. Peter Lefort, CAG Project Officer, said “Oxfordshire County Council understands the potential in community-led action on waste, their support to the CAG Project allows the passion and dedication of Oxfordshire residents to drive new and innovative ways of helping the county improve all aspects of waste management.”

Recent initiatives at the Household Waste Recycling Centre’s include trials to recycle bulky waste such as mattresses and carpets, which has led recycling rates to increase to over 80%. Furthermore, with residual waste now being delivered to the Ardley energy recovery facility and used to generate electricity even more waste is being diverted from landfill sites.

Councillor David Nimmo-Smith, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “We would like to thank everyone who takes the time to sort their rubbish and ensure that the right bins are used for the right material. These results show that our efforts are paying off, but I would encourage residents to keep reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible to keep us at the top of the league tables.”