Recycling bins to hit the High Street
People should be encouraged to recycle while out and about, the government has said.
While facilities for doorstep recycling of household waste are now widely available, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has noted there are fewer opportunities for recycling in public places.
Defra argues councils should provide public-use recycle bins alongside ordinary rubbish bins in order to encourage people to recycle more.
It recommends visible recycling bins are installed in public spaces such as beaches, car parks, cinemas, parks, road sides, shopping centres and visitor attractions. These should use the same colours and symbols as the Recycle Now campaign.
Recycle on the Go, published now for consultation, argues recycling should move from best practice to a habitual activity and sets the groundwork for a new push on recycling from 2008, as part of the Waste Strategy for England.
Defra thinks there is a desire among local councils to offer more recycling facilities but many are unclear how to launch a scheme that compliments rather than competes with existing services.
The initiative was welcomed in principle by environmental campaigners.
Michael Warhust, Friends of the Earth’s waste campaigner, told politics.co.uk: “It is important for the government to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle all they can.
“Providing recycling guidance for organisations that control public spaces is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done if we are to dramatically reduce the amount of waste we produce.
“The government has the chance to take the lead in Europe later this year by backing plans for EU-wide recycling targets.”
