All materials put into household recycling bins are being recycled according to the council. However general household waste, is not being sorted and this has not been happening for months. This was the usual practice before and resulted in additional waste being recycled.
This means many thousands of tonnes of waste that would have otherwise been recycled is going into Coxhoe landfill just so that the site can be filled up more quickly.
Lib Dem Councillor Mark Wilkes who challenged the action at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board today says “The Council has a moral duty to ensure that as much material as possible is recycled. Whilst they may say that their actions are saving money and are the best option it does not look that way to me or residents. Like most waste in landfill, this whole situation stinks.”
“I would urge people to put as much recycling as possible into their recycling bins as this IS being recycled. But trying to fill up a landfill site as quickly as possible to save money in the future is immoral and must have immediate financial implications.”
Last year over 140,000 tonnes of waste went to landfill from County Durham. The Labour-run Council’s figures imply that up to 30,000 tonnes of additional waste has been dumped into Coxhoe than would otherwise have occurred. Estimates of the additional landfill tax could run into the millions. Every tonne of waste sent to landfill costs between £90-100. This cost is being born by the contractor Premier Waste over which Durham County Council is the major shareholder.
In the meantime however many thousands of tonnes are being buried in Coxhoe which could be recycled or incinerated.