From today, visitors to the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) on Nuffield Road wanting to dispose of asbestos, plasterboard, gas canisters, tyres, soil and rubble, including DIY waste, will be required to pay a small charge.
A charge will only be made for the disposal of materials classed as non-household waste. The disposal of other household waste and recycling at the facility will remain free of charge for local residents. Charges will include £1.50 for a bag of soil and rubble, £2.50 for a bag of plasterboard and £6 for a bag of asbestos. It will cost £6 to dispose of a small gas canister, £11 for a medium canister and £35 for large canisters. In addition the disposal of car or motorbike tyres will cost £5 each.
Last year Borough of Poole spent more than £55,000 on the disposal of non-household waste materials collected at the HWRC. Due to changes in landfill tax, the cost of disposal of soil and rubble alone will increase from £5,000 to £35,000 a year. The charges will save the council £50,000 a year as it looks to close a £12.6 million funding gap in its budget up to 2018.
Councillor Xena Dion, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Borough of Poole, said: "The council, and therefore our council taxpayers, incur a significant cost as a result of people disposing of non-household materials at our waste and recycling centre. However, the size of the financial challenge faced by the council unfortunately means we have no option but to introduce a reasonable charge for this service. Several other local authorities already charge for non-household materials at waste and recycling sites and we will only look to introduce charges that reflect other local options for disposal."
For further information about the HWRC go to boroughofpoole.com/nuffield or call 01202 261700.
Composting is an excellent way to recycle fallen leaves and other garden waste. A compost bin recycles this waste in an environmentally friendly way. Simply throw the garden waste into the bin and over the winter months it will break down to produce rich nutritious compost that can be used to put life back into the garden. As well as garden waste, you can also compost vegetable peelings, teabags, coffee grounds, pet bedding and egg shells.
Councillor Dion: "Typically, one third of all household rubbish and garden waste is organic matter which can be easily recycled at home in a compost bin. Home composting not only helps to reduce waste sent to landfill and improves our carbon footprint, but if you start composting now you will have a nutritious free supply of compost that will enrich your garden next spring."
Compost bins and accessories can be ordered online at www.getcomposting.com or by calling 0844 571 4444.