Majority back council scheme (From Warrington Guardian)

Majority back council scheme

MORE than 75 per cent of questionnaire respondents have lent their backing to Vale Royal's new kerbside recycling scheme, say council officials.

A leading member says the results of a survey into the project - which has seen a dramatic change in refuse collections - put the borough among the top 10 recycling districts in the UK.

About eight per cent of people in the borough responded to the questionnaire and voiced their views on the new scheme. A Vale Royal Borough Council spokeswoman said: "The results underline residents' support for the new scheme with more than 75 per cent of people satisfied or better with the new collection system.

"The questionnaire highlighted that despite the dramatic changes to residents' refuse collections since the introduction of the new service in April, just 36 per cent of residents still have some reservations about the alternate weekly collections, which have been hailed a success and have raised the recycling rate in Vale Royal to an amazing 48 per cent."

Clr Malcolm Gaskill, lead councillor for waste management, said: "This survey demonstrates the overwhelming public backing for a scheme that has catapulted Vale Royal into the top 10 recycling districts in the UK. We will be taking on board any reservations expressed by residents but the overall response has been hugely positive."

An average of 70 per cent of residents said they found they were recycling more because they were using the new boxes, as well as reducing the amount of waste in their green bin.