Stockport is once again top of the league table for recycling performance in Greater Manchester.
Since the Council introduced its new recycling system last year, recycling rates have gone from 35% to in 2007/08 to 53% in 2010/11. They have gone up even further in the first quarter of this year, with Stockport’s rates soaring to 67%.
As well as creating a greener place to live, the success means Stockport has saved millions of pounds that would have been spent sending rubbish to landfill. It costs £107 more per tonne to dispose of “black bin” general waste compared to the waste from green, blue or brown bins.
Thanks to residents who have embraced the scheme, Stockport has avoided £2.3million in waste disposal costs in the last year and will now receive a rebate from Greater Manchester Waste Authority.
Stockport Lib Dem Councillors Sue Derbyshire and Ann Smith praised residents for the effort they have made to recycle correctly.
“Residents wanted a better recycling system and their efforts to put the right thing in the right bin has made all the difference,” said Sue Derbyshire.
The rates are a massive improvement on what other areas near to Stockport have achieved, like Tory Trafford or Labour Oldham, Salford and Manchester.
Manchester City Council performed half as well as Stockport, despite receiving much more government money and having £100million sat in its bank account.
Manchester has been fiercely criticised for laying off thousands of staff and closing libraries, leisure centres and public loos instead of turning to these funds.
Their cuts have been described as a “cruel and cynical” ploy by Labour as they play politics with peoples services.
But Lib Dem Stockport has been getting on with the job, and residents support for the new recycling scheme has brought enormous benefits to Stockport.
