A display promoting the new Douglas and Braddan kerbside collection service has been hailed a success. Organised by Douglas Borough Council which is funding and operating the service in partnership with Braddan Commissioners, the display in Regent Street was part of a week-long ‘Love Where You Live’ campaign aimed at alerting the public to the importance of recycling and providing an opportunity for those households in Douglas and Braddan who had yet to subscribe to the service to sign up. Public Works Committee Chairman Councillor David Ashford said: ‘Members of the public were extremely receptive to the importance of recycling as much household waste as possible. We were encouraged by the level of interest generated by the display which had, as its centerpiece, one of our kerbside collection vehicles, supported by a wealth of information about recycling; this included some fascinating facts such as every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees and the UK uses 13 billion steel cans every year. Our officers were able to advise those households already using the service there was no requirement to re-register and also to promote the environmental and financial benefits of the service to those who have yet to sign up. At a time when people’s finances are being stretched and local authorities are looking at making savings to reduce the burden on their ratepayers, the more people who sign up to the service the more cost effective kerbside collection becomes and the less need there is to reflect the operating costs in the rates.’ Braddan Commissioners’ vice-chairman Andrew Jessopp said: ‘We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with Douglas Borough Council to provide a sustainable waste management solution through this joint recyclables collection service. We applaud the Council’s efforts to promote the kerbside initiative to as a wide an audience as possible through this campaign and wish to join with Councillor Ashford in urging householders in Braddan and Douglas to sign up for the service.’ In support of the campaign the Council’s waste management officers will be making presentations to schools in Douglas and Braddan during December and January. Recycling: some statistics (source GreenBoxDay) - Each UK household produces more than one tonne of rubbish annually, amounting to about 31 million tonnes for the UK each year; - Every year, the average dustbin contains enough unrealised energy for 500 baths, 3500 showers or 5,000 hours of television; - On average every person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks; - If all the aluminium drinks cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14 million fewer full dustbins per year; - On average, each person in the UK uses more than 200 kg of paper per year. 66 per cent of this is collected for recycling; - 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard are used every year in the UK. For full details of the kerbside collection service, telephone 696450 or email enquiries@douglas.gov.im ENDS