Local Lib Dems Welcome Increased Recycling

11.31.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 2nd Jun 2008

Councillors Alistair Dow and Robert Wright have welcomed the increased recycling across Birmingham.

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that there was an 8% jump in Birmingham's recycling rate during 2007/08. To coincide with National Recycling Week, the City Council has announced confirmed that 26.81% of the city's waste was recycled during 2007-2008 - a total of over 122,000 tonnes.

Selly Oak Councillor Alistair Dow said: "The increase in recycling across Birmingham is great news. The Lib Dems have led the way in increasing recycling in Birmingham after 20 years of Labour failure."

With the support of local residents, local Lib Dems campaigned for the regular kerbside collections of glass, plastic bottles and tin cans (as well as paper and cardboard) that now take place across Birmingham.

More can still be done to increase reycling (and reduce the amount that we throw away) and as part of this week's Climate Change Festival, Birmingham City Council is challenging residents of Birmingham to increase the amount of waste they recycle over the coming months by at least 20 kg per person. For example:

• Recycling 2 glass bottles or 20 tin/food cans per week equates to 5kg per year

• The average person in the UK throws away more than 200kg of paper every year. Recycling just a tenth of this would hit the target.

• The average UK home throws away 1/3 of all food without consuming it - the equivalent of 300kg per year

For more information on recycling or the Climate Change Festival log onto www.climatechangefestival.org.uk.

For more information on National Recycling Week go to www.recyclenow.com