Column by Cllr Rachael Hunt, cabinet member for communities and local place.

I am very proud to report that South Gloucestershire Council’s recycling services are amongst the best in the country, according to the Government’s latest figures. We now rank third among similar councils. We recycled just under 60 per cent of waste for the 2019/20 year, which is a record for us and so our thanks go to our resident’, without whose tremendous commitment to recycling, we couldn’t have achieved this. It is a shared success, the result of great teamwork with our local communities.

Since 2015, we have made real improvements to the Council’s recycling services, including the introduction of weekly collections. Last March, we launched our ‘Resource and Waste Strategy: 2020 and Beyond’. This strategy focuses on doing our bit to save our planet’s precious resources by reducing our consumption, especially of single-use items, and ensuring our environment is protected for future generations.

Our environmental aspirations are for a more sustainable South Gloucestershire and we have an ambitious target to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030. This contributes to our target of achieving net zero carbon across South Gloucestershire by 2030, as set out in our Climate Emergency Declaration.

We are meeting these environmental aspirations by valuing all resources and preventing waste whenever possible. Where waste is created, we are working to achieve a circular economy that encourages re-use, repair and recycling. Everyone has a responsibility for their waste and we are working with communities to find innovative solutions to keep our streets clean and tidy.

The improvements we make are only possible with your support. I want to thank you again for sharing in our commitment to recycling. The fact we are among the top local authorities in the country is testament to that commitment. Our goal is for you to continue to be proud to call South Gloucestershire home.

To view the Government figures click here.