'What should Leeds do with its waste?' consultation results March - May 2006
Between March and May 2006 Leeds City Council asked the people of Leeds ‘what should Leeds do with its waste?’
Thank you for taking part in the consultation and telling us what you think. The information and comments you provided are very important and will make sure that our future plans meet your needs.
Our haste to waste could cost us millions
We told you that most of the household waste in Leeds is buried in the ground. The European Union and our government are demanding that cities reduce the amount of waste that they bury. If we don’t take action now, we could be fined millions of pounds.
We explained how we could become a zero waste city and reduce the amount we bury in the ground by:
- Reducing our waste
- Re-using our waste
- Recycling our waste
- Making the most from our waste
- Helping each other
- Making it work
- Dealing with commercial and industrial waste
During the consultation we attended many community groups, forums and meetings, across the city. We held lots of exhibitions and distributed information across Leeds, via the local media, council website, libraries and one stop centres. We also asked you some questions to find out your views.
2,951 people sent us their views to the questions we asked and here is what they said:
- 48% of people who sent us their views said that recycling as much as we can was the most important issue to them
- 33% said reducing the amount of waste we make is important to them
- 14% said we should reduce the amount of waste we bury in landfill sites
- 5% said we should collect the waste we make in a cost effective way
- 80% of people said they think the council should provide a regular garden waste collection service to householders. 12% said ‘No’ and 8% answered ‘Don’t know’
- 84% of people feel that an ‘energy from waste’ facility is the right choice for Leeds to deal with the waste we can’t recycle. 4% disagreed and 12% answered ‘Don’t know’
- 63% of people said they would recycle more if their green bin/bags were emptied more often. 30% disagreed and 7% of people answered ‘Don’t know’
- 55% of people said they would not need their black bin emptying every week if their green bin was emptied more often. 36% disagreed and 9% answered ‘Don’t know’
- 85% of people said they would recycle more if a wider range of materials were collected from their properties. 11% disagreed and 4% answered ‘Don’t know’
What can be put in the green recycling bin/ bag?
- Paper - junk mail, office paper, newspapers, magazines
- Cardboard - brown card, glossy card, egg boxes,
inner tubes from toilet and kitchen roll
- Metal Cans - drink cans, food cans, pet food cans
- Plastics - types 1, 2 and 4* such as plastic bags, plastic bottles - lids off, plastic milk containers - lids off
* these numbers can be found in a triangle on many plastic items
Please do not put garden waste in your black or green bin
For further information on recycling and the waste strategy please visit our website: www.leeds.gov.uk/leedswaste or contact us on 0113 2224406.