Year on year the residents of Stroud District Council have increased the level of waste they recycle and dispose less to landfill. The graph below shows this rise.
Our current rate of 26% is one of the highest in the country for recycling collections which is extremely positive. Let’s hope we can continue this trend over the coming years.
2007/08 saw a large decrease in the amount of landfill waste produced by residents with levels falling by 4.08%. This is a trend that has been experienced in other local authorities in Gloucestershire and further afield.
With people becoming more aware of waste issues it is possible that this decrease is due to residents making the conscious decision to produce less waste by purchasing items with less packaging, reusing more items and giving usable items to charity shops, however, we will need to wait until the 2008/09 figures are available to see if this trend continues.
Following on from the decrease in the amount of landfill waste produced, the average amount of landfill waste produced per head of population has also fallen. In 2006/07 this figure was 346 kg / head of population and this decreased in 2007/08 to 334.
"We are currently ranked 17th in the UK for having the lowest waste production levels. The graph below shows how our figure of 332kg/head compares with the other authorities in Gloucesteshire."
Outside of the national targets to increase recycling / composting rates and decrease the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill, the Council has set specific targets as to how the waste section should perform over the coming years. These relate to;
Recycling Rate: Increase recycling rate from current rate of 26% to 40% in 2009/10 and 41% in 2010/11.
Landfill Waste Produced Per Household: Decrease the amount of landfill waste produced by household (not per person as above) from our current rate of 561 kg / household to 470 kg / household by 2009/10.
