City of York Council is drawing up proposals to expand kerbside recycling in the city with plans for a further 8,000 homes to be included in the scheme.

The proposals, which follow a council budget commitment to extend kerbside recycling to 20,000 houses in the city, are likely to include fortnightly collections using special containers for the recyclable rubbish. They are also likely to include the recycling of garden waste from over 1,000 properties for composting.

With household rubbish increasing at a rate of three per cent per year, the plans to extend the recycling scheme follow a city-wide consultation on waste management and recycling last year. The consultation found high levels of support for rubbish separation and collection schemes with high numbers of people across the city willing to separate kitchen, garden and general rubbish for special collections.

Kerbside recycling schemes have already been tried out in two areas of the city and have proved very successful. Residents who have taken part in the trials have found the scheme easy to use and has reduced the amount of rubbish in the usual rubbish bins.

Councillor Derek Smallwood, executive member for the environment, said: "Each household in York produces around one tonne of rubbish every year and the council must ensure that we reduce the amount of waste which is taken to landfill sites. With ambitious government and EC targets to meet, the kerbside recycling scheme is one way we will achieve those targets. Our aim for the end of the year is for 25 per cent of homes in the city to be covered by kerbside recycling."

The proposals will be outlined in detail in a paper to be brought to the officer in consultation meeting for the environment on 11th April.

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