MORE than a dozen plastic recycling banks around Southampton have been scrapped by the city council.

Earlier this year the banks were installed to give residents the chance to recycle mixed plastics such as pots, tubs and trays, which are items the council was unable to pick up on its normal recycling collections.

But now Southampton City Council will remove them because the company that provides the banks says it is having ongoing difficulties in disposing of the materials.

 

The council said this is due to changes in the plastic recycling market, with material processors currently not accepting the items, which make up the majority of the collections.

Currently, the alternative recycling route for these plastics is for them to be incinerated, with the energy that is produced from this process feeding back in to the national grid.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, cabinet member for transport and public realm said: “The plastic banks will be removed for the time being and we will continue to use the most efficient and environmentally friendly method of disposal for the plastics that can’t go in to kerbside recycling bins.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank residents for all of their hard work, and encourage them to continue to recycle the right items, as often as they can. Any type of plastic bottle can go in to recycling bins with the materials being recycled in to new products.”

20 Feb 2014 - launch of new bin collection service for Southampton and new glass bins - Jacqui Rayment.20 Feb 2014 - launch of new bin collection service for Southampton and new glass bins - Jacqui Rayment.

Initially, 10 recycling banks were installed at spots such as Bitterne, Portswood, Lordshill and Woolston in January.

Ron Meldrum, treasurer of Southampton & District Green Party, said: “So many people can’t be bothered recycling so we need these facilities to train the people to keep doing it. The law in the UK should be that every item should be sold in recyclable materials so we only need one bin.”