Recycling is ready to go even further

RECYCLING rates in Greater Manchester have now reached 30 per cent according to a new report — and are set to soar further.

The Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) has released its annual report for 2007/08, revealing its performance over the last 12 months and the challenges it faces in the coming year.

It states GMWDA continued to deliver its key objectives, improve its performance, and has worked with districts to improve recycling rates.

The Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) network, run by subsidiary company Greater Manchester Waste Limited, saw its recycling and composting rate reach 47 per cent in 2007/08.

The overall recycling rate, including waste collection authorities, has now shot up from 7 per cent in 2002/03 to almost 30 per cent for 2007/08.

GMWDA is close to signing a £330million, 25-year waste-management contract with its preferred bidder Viridor-Laing to improve recycling sites and help boost recycling rates to 50 per cent by 2020.

Oldham’s Arkwright Street site is part of the plan, which will see an improved lay-out of facilities, more space to manoeuvre, CCTV and increased assistance from site workers.

The report states progress to the deal has been made and it will provide a world-class solution to dealing with Greater Manchester’s waste.

The authority has also signed up to the Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change and has instigated a member-led climate change working group to see what more can be done to tackle the problem. An action plan will also show how the implementation of the Authority’s Waste Strategy will help.

New staff have also been recruited in key areas and residents kept informed, and shown how to do their bit to make the region cleaner and greener, by leaflets being sent to households.

Councillor Neil Swannick, chairman of GMWDA, said: “I am delighted to see excellent continuous improvements in the GMWDA’s performance over the last 12 months and we are looking forward to progressing further.

“There has been a vast amount of work completed by GMWDA, and we are hoping to capitalise on this and work towards achieving our key objectives in 2008/09.”