Statement from Cllr Stewart Golton on Rothwell food waste pilot

12.00.00am GMT Fri 5th Feb 2010

Rothwell food waste pilot

A recycling pilot is due to begin in Rothwell on the 22nd February. This will involve weekly food waste collections, fortnightly green and brown bin collections and a fortnightly collection of residual waste.

Cllr Stewart Golton (Lib Dem, Rothwell) said:

"I know that some residents are unhappy about the prospect of an additional bin but the consultation events that took place last summer showed that many others are really keen. Rothwell has been recognised as one of the best areas for recycling in Leeds and as a result we have secured this pilot therefore I feel we need to give this scheme a chance.

"The Council gets charged more and more each year in landfill tax, and that's paid for by the council tax payers. So, there is a need to recycle more. Taking food waste out of the black bin means that 30% more gets recycled, so it saves us money that can then be spent on things like resurfacing roads and child protection.

"We now have an opportunity as a community in Rothwell to do more for our environment. As a local councillor my job is to ensure that this is done with as little inconvenience as possible for us as residents."