Plastic bottle recycling success

Release Date:  14-May-2008

BRISTOL IS ALMOST THE TOP PLASTIC BOTTLE RECYCLER IN THE COUNTRY
 
In the month that Bristol City Council unveils three new plastic bottle banks - making sure most residents live within a mile of one - the people of Bristol have been applauded by national charity 'Recoup' as the second-best users of plastic bottle banks in the country.
 
Bristol residents recycled nearly 930 tonnes of plastic bottles in 2007 via the city’s previous network of 39 banks - a weight equivalent to over 23 million bottles.  This made Bristol the second highest recycler of plastic bottles via recycling banks in the country in 2007.

Three new bank sites are now available at:
 
1)  Hereford Street Car Park, Hereford Street, Bedminster, BS3 4NA
2)  Sea Mills Square, Shirehampton Road, Sea Mills (at the end of St Edyth’s Road)
3)  Dundridge Park Car Park, Dundridge Park, St George, BS5 8AW
 
Bristol City Council is now collecting an average of 77 tonnes of plastic bottles each month, and with the new total of 42 sites on stream it is hoped this will increase to over 2 million bottles a month. 
 
Executive Member for Neighbourhoods Judith Price says, “Every household in Bristol can feel proud of this achievement, and this Council will continue to respond by making sure the city’s enthusiastic recyclers have the facilities they need as near to their homes as possible. We are dedicated to creating better neighbourhoods, and the support of residents in all aspects of recycling has put Bristol's environmental initiatives on the national stage.”
 
Just four years ago there were only 7 sites across the city where plastic bottles could be recycled. With the new network of 42 sites recycling rates have increased eightfold. An increase in this provision, as supported by the Citizens Jury, was agreed in the City Council's budget.

Bristol City Council has a comprehensive ‘recycling centre finder’ to help residents locate their nearest plastic bottle recycling site - it is on-line at www.bristol.gov.uk/recyclingcentrefinder , or residents can e-mail the Customer Service Centre at recycling@bristol.gov.uk or telephone on 0117 922 3838 to find out where their nearest plastic bottle bank is. Banks for other materials may also be available at the same site.  
 
Like most other Councils, Bristol’s plastic bottle banks will accept most bottles used for fizzy drinks, mineral waters, squashes, milk, cooking oils, detergents and household cleaners, shampoos and beauty products.   
 
Bristol’s recycling team asks residents to ‘wash and squash’ bottles if possible - just rinse them out with warm water (ideally when doing the washing up, to make the greenest use of your household water), which makes them easier to squash and stay flat. Plastic bottle banks fill less quickly if the bottles are squashed, meaning fewer collections and less vehicle pollution. 
 
The plastic is then collected by materials recycling firm Recresco, using a compactor lorry able to extract bottles and compact them down in a few minutes, allowing one or two lorries to cover the whole city.

Author:  Mark Nicholson

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