Vale Council leads the way in waste minimisation -
26/09/06
Last month signalled the start of a massive bout of waste
minimisation at the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Alps depot with the
launch of a ‘Battle of the Bins’.
Championed by ‘Sustainable’ Steve Morris, Head of Building and
Vehicle Services, and Miles ‘The Minimiser’ Punter, Head of Visible
Services, the initiative involves Council staff competing over the
next six months to see who can reduce their rubbish the most. This
will help lower the amount of waste the council sends to landfill,
both saving money and helping to protect the local environment.
Office accommodation at the Alps depot in Wenvoe is spilt into
two blocks, A & B, with Miles representing A Block and Steve
representing B Block.
Rubbish bins have been reduced to one per office in both blocks
and the number of recycling bins available has increased. A compost
bin is also available for staff to dispose of their tea bags and
fruit waste.
Recycling has become the norm, with cleaners instructed not to
empty any bins that contain recyclable material, and these measures
have proved very effective in helping staff to reduce their
waste.
All rubbish is weighed periodically and the block that produces
the least waste at the end of the six-month campaign will win the
coveted ‘Battle of the Bins’ title for either Steve or Miles.
The Council is working hard to encourage everyone to reduce
their waste and recycle more, both in work and at home, and is
delighted with the results so far.
Head of Visible Services, Miles Punter, explained: “We have seen
an amazing 37% reduction in the amount of waste produced at the
Alps in just four weeks since we launched this initiative, which
just goes to show how a few simple changes can make a huge
difference. I am sure we can reduce our waste even further, and
would like to thank our staff for their support”.
Head of Building and Vehicle Services, Steve Morris, added: “Our
staff have been surprised at how easy it has been to reduce waste
in the office by doing simple things such as returning unwanted
junk mail to the sender and composting. Many of them have also
started to reduce their waste at home and I would urge all Vale
residents to give this a go.”
For further advice on waste minimisation and recycling at home
please call Visible Services 029 20 673000, e-mail visible@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
or visit www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
Businesses in the Vale can also reduce their waste - FREE
independent advice on waste minimisation is available from
Envirowise: Tel 0800 585794, e-mail helpline@envirowise.gov.uk,
or visit www.envirowise.gov.uk