Press releases

Calderdale Council's Cabinet Member, Health and Social Care, Cllr. Graham Reason, says he wants to thank the people of Calderdale for their efforts to improve recycling rates.

"Thanks to the efforts of householders across Calderdale, we are now recycling over 40% of household waste.

"It means that we have reached national targets set for us by the Government for 2010 a year early. And we are well on the way towards the 2015 target of 45%.

"The introduction of the new household waste recycling service has been a learning process for us all. But people have responded magnificently. People are still getting used to the new service. But I am confident that as it beds in, we will all be able to increase the proportion of household waste we recycle even further.

"Over 60% of the waste that is taken to Household Waste Recycling Sites (HWRSs) is now being recycled. Also less than half of our waste is now going to landfill, this is a far cry from last year, when nearly 70% of all waste was sent to landfill.

"This will make a significant contribution to the reduction in greenhouse gases.

"It also means that Calderdale will stay within the Government's limits for the amount of waste it sends to landfill.

"That, in turn, means that the Council will avoid large financial penalties that would have been imposed, had we exceeded those limits.

"This has been a wonderful effort by people across the whole of Calderdale and they can be justifiably proud of what they have achieved."