Call to put plastics in green bins

Mar 17 2008 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Chancellor ‘should be bolder’

RESIDENTS should be able to recycle more plastic, a councillor has said.

Currently only plastic bottles are recycled by Kirklees Council.

But Clr Ann Denham would like to see yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and plastic bags added to the list of items that residents can put in their green bins.

The Lib Dem said: “I want the council to invest in a waste reduction strategy focused on plastics to encourage people to avoid bringing the packaging home in the first place.

“However, it is unavoidable that we will use some plastic items so it would be great if we could add things like food trays to the doorstep collection.”

Clr Denham has put forward a motion on this issue to the monthly council meeting on Wednesday.

The Almondbury councillor – who is leading efforts to make Kirklees the first plastic bag-free urban area of England – also criticised Chancellor Alistair Darling for not taking decisive action.

He announced in this week’s Budget that the Government would bring in legislation next year to reduce the number of plastic bags in use by 12 billion – unless companies cut usage themselves.

Clr Denham said: “Locally I am working hard to make Kirklees a plastic bag-free district. We could make that happen very quickly if the Government supported us and put the environment ahead of the interests of big companies.

“Yet again the Government is refusing to seize control of the issue and pass legislation banning plastic bags.

“The Chancellor and the Prime Minister should be bolder – let’s get a ban in place as soon as possible.”

The campaign to make Kirklees plastic bag-free officially begins with a stall at Huddersfield Farmers’ Market on April 13.

People in Kirklees use 115m plastic bags a year. They can take between 500 and 1,000 years to break down.