TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are hoping to see the borough council earn £800,000 from its blue bins over the next two years.
The council has signed a new two year contract with Deeside-based UPM to recycle items collected from resident’ blue bins.
From the end of December all recyclables collected through this scheme will be sorted at a nearby depot and then transported to UPM’s materials recovery and recycling facility (MRRF) at the UPM Shotton paper mill – 30 miles away.
The MRRF is a brand new facility and it achieves some of the best recovery rates in the UK.
Eighty per cent of recyclables will travel only a few miles from the Shotton facility to be reprocessed into new products and 99 per cent of the materials stay in the UK.
The new deal also means that residents will be able to recycle more items in their blue bins from early next year, including items like shredded paper, aerosols, Tetrapak cartons and more types of plastic. The council will advise residents of the new guidelines in the New Year.
Cllr David Keane,the council’s executive member for environment and public protection, said: “This new contract will improve the service provided to residents by allowing them to recycle even more than ever through our blue bin scheme.
“Not only will the council save money through this new contract but we will also be paid more for the recyclables that we collect. All money earned will be reinvested into local services. So by recycling more, you are helping support your town while doing your bit for the environment at the same time!”
Mike Burgess, national sourcing manager for UPM said: “We’re delighted to continue to work with Warrington and its partners. Our integrated recycling approach ensures that not only can we recover recyclable materials at a very high rate but we also recycle material on our own site. UPM Shotton has been called a benchmark for sustainable manufacturing, with reduced CO2 emissions and a focus on minimising waste. We are proud of our long term partnerships with local authorities.
Pictured: Simon Walker, UPM; John Rowson, WBC; Cllr David Keane, WBC (front); David Boyer, WBC; Ian Molyneux, WBC; Nick Prescott, WSR (yellow hat), Mike Burgess, UPM.
