Recycling success

Monday 29 October 2007
Recycling scheme hailed outstanding success
More refuse than ever before from Aberystwyth University is being recycled following the University's adoption of Ceredigion County Council's Lilac Bag Scheme for halls of residence.

Following a successful pilot study at the University’s seafront residences, the lilac bag scheme was extended at the start of the new academic year to include all campus residences. As part of the extended scheme 200 waste recycler sack holders were introduced into kitchen areas and the results have been outstanding according to the University’s Head of House Services, Alan Stephens.

“Students have clearly understood the need to recycle and are making every effort to use the new system. Only four weeks after putting the new sack holders in the kitchens more waste is being recycled in the lilac bags than is being put into conventional black bin liners.”

“In the past 9 large bins of rubbish would be taken to landfill every week from the Cwrt Mawr halls alone. The introduction of the waste recycler sack holders and the lilac bag scheme means that five of the bins are now destined for recycling. In the first three weeks of the new term 1.75 tonnes of refuse has been recycled from the University’s halls of residence”, he added.

Ceredigion currently recycles over 36% of its municipal waste and is currently one of the best performers in Wales. In order to meet the longer term targets set by the Welsh Assembly for recycling / composting, Ceredigion County Council will need to continue improving its performance by introducing new waste collection schemes to encourage recycling and composting in urban and rural areas.

Councillor Ray Quant, cabinet member for Highways, Property & Works said that the current recycling performance in the county can be largely attributed to the enthusiasm of the general public. “Students form a large part of the population and now those living in halls of residence and/or without transport will find it easier to recycle more through the Lilac Recycling bag scheme. As part of the scheme the Council has purchased 40,000 Lilac Recycling bags to be used with the waste recycler sack holders.”

The development has also received the backing of Jenny Mace, Environment and Ethics Officer at the Aberystwyth Guild of Students.
“This is a welcome step forward. Recycling schemes need to take human nature into account which means convenience is a key factor. The more convenient the green system is the more people are likely to use it, something which is reflected in the success of the lilac bag scheme. We now need to extend the recycling process into other areas such as the use of take away food packaging made from corn starch.”

The University is hoping to extend the use of the waste recycler sack holders, which is manufactured by the Waste Recycler Company in County Down, Northern Ireland, to all student halls of residence.