…Paper?
Each tonne of paper recycled saves 15 average sized trees, as well as their surrounding habitat and wildlife.
Since the paper-recycling scheme started we have recycled the weight of 1,970 elephants or saved 166,000 fir trees, which is an area the size of Hastings Country Park.
Recycling paper uses less energy and water than making new paper.
Paper can be recycled using kerbside collections or at our Recycling Sites.
…Glass?
Glass is one of the most easy to recycle materials. It is 100% recyclable, it can be recycled indefinitely and recycling glass uses less energy, less raw materials and causes less pollution than producing new glass.
Recycling glass cuts the amount of waste sent to landfill and reduces waste disposal costs (every day 14 million glass bottles and jars end up in landfill), saves energy, reduces the need for quarrying of raw materials, thereby conserving the environment.
Glass should be taken to Recycling Sites for recycling. It is not collected in the Kerbside Recycling Scheme.
…Cans and metal?
Recycling saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminium ore and up to 75% of the energy needed to make steel from new materials.
Recycling metals reduces waste.
Aluminium can be recycled again and again without a loss in quality.
Cans and metal can be recycled using the Kerbside Collection Service or taken to Recycling Sites across the town.
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Our Recycling Targets
Everyone plays an important part in helping to meet the tough targets for reducing waste and recycling more. There are both national and local targets for recycling and waste reduction.
The European Landfill Directive requires the disposal of biodegradable municipal waste to land to be progressively reduced. In the UK the biodegradable waste we landfill must be reduced to 35% of 1995 levels by the year 2020.
In Hastings our targets for recycling are:
18% for 2005/06
30% by 2010
33% by 2015
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Recycling Facts and Figures
Recycling rates are made up of two things:
- dry recyclables (like glass, paper, card plastics and tins)
- the composting of garden waste
Hastings Borough Council's Dry Recyclables Facts and Figures:
- We achieved 22.9% recycling in 07/08 and were ranked 4th in East Sussex
- If Twin Bins had been in place for the full year we would have achieved 26% and been ranked 1st in East Sussex
- For the 08/09 our indicative recycling rate is 25.3% and we are ranked 1st - the best in East Sussex!
Hastings Borough Council's Composting Facts and Figures:
- We were ranked 5th in East Sussex in 07/08 and for 08/09
- Our neighbours are less urban so they generate more garden waste
- Composting makes up a large part of many local authority areas' recycling rates
- Areas that have concentrated upon composting to achieve good recycling rates are now having to re-think this strategy as it has an adverse impact on the Government's landfill tax allowances
- Garden Waste collections usually increase the amount of waste collected as people stop home composting or taking garden waste to Household Waste Recycling Sites (like Pebsham)
- As Hastings is reasonably urban we felt it was unfair for all residents to subsidise garden waste collections so we launched a scheme which has been a tremendous success with over 2,400 residents signed up to the £35 per annum service
- Our composting tonnages have doubled and we expect our composting rate to increase but we will never see the high composting rates achieved by our neighbours Wealden or Rother because they have more gardens than we do!
Hastings Borough Council's Overall Recycling Facts and Figures:
- In 07/08 our overall recycling rate was 23.7% and we were ranked 6th which was the worst in East Sussex
- However, the introduction of the Twin Bin scheme in 0ctober 2007 which took our recycling rate to 27% for the remainder of that year
- For the 08/09 our indicative overall recycling rate is 27.9% and we are currently ranked 5th in East Sussex
- This figure is lower than some our neighbours because we do not rely on composting to achieve our recycling targets
- Hastings residents are the best at recycling glass, paper, plastics and tins in East Sussex!
Waste Minimisation Facts and Figures:
- Waste minimisation is also a key target and Hastings residents produce the 2nd lowest amount of waste per head in East Sussex!
