A campaign to persuade thousands of Liverpool householders to make the most of recycling facilities in neighbouring council areas is under way.
Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) – which owns 14 household waste recycling centres across the whole of the region – says thousands of Liverpool householders are needlessly trekking across the city to Otterspool – the city’s only Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) – instead of visiting Centres much closer to home.
More than 10,000 householders visit the Otterspool HWRC in Jericho Lane, Aigburth, each month, with thousands of Liverpool residents travelling from the north and eastern fringes when they could be visiting more local centres in South Sefton, Kirkby or Huyton.
MRWA Chief Executive Carl Beer said: “Everyday we get dozens of people turning up at Otterspool from all corners of the city when they could have saved time, energy and have given themselves a much shorter journey by travelling to Household Waste Recycling Centres across the border in Sefton and Knowsley.
“We are a Merseyside-wide authority so council boundaries don’t matter – as long as Merseyside residents are using facilities within Merseyside – and that’s the message we want to get across.”
The Authority is now mounting a ‘Recycling is Closer than You Think’ advertising campaign and will be leafleting more than 25,000 Liverpool homes in key postcodes, and running advertising campaigns to get the message across to householders in the northern and eastern fringes of the city.
Leaflets give directions to three Household Waste Recycling Centres in Kirkby, South Sefton and Huyton, which the Authority believes will be better locations than Otterspool for many recyclers.
MRWA Chairperson Councillor Joe DeAsha said: “Part of the reason for suggesting people use closer sites is about relieving pressure on the Otterspool site and making maximum use of other, nearer sites. Part of it is also simply about saving motorists the time, cost and fuel used travelling across the city unnecessarily.”
Paul Smyth, Contract Manager for Veolia Environmental Services, said:”Veolia operate the 14 Household Waste Recycling Centres in Merseyside, our operatives will be available to provide assistance and answer any queries regarding the locations of other Recycling Centres”.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Chair of the Council’s Recycling Working Group, is delighted to support the campaign to promote all the recycling centres in our local area. Laura said “In Liverpool we are encouraging all our residents across the city to recycle as much waste as possible. This helps the environment, and saves the city money. By utilising all the nearby recycling centres – including those at Huyton, Bootle and Kirkby, all of our residents live within a few minutes drive of a centre”
Pictured: Left to right – Carl Beer, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority launches the ‘Recycling is closer than you think’ campaign with Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins from Liverpool City Council and Gerry Boyle and Paul Smyth from Veolia Environmental Services
