A NEW countywide waste partnership is aiming to boost Oxfordshire’s recycling rate to 70 per cent by 2030.

All district councils recycled over 50 per cent in 2017/18, (the national recycling rate is 45 per cent) and the county as a whole has a recycling rate of 57.2 per cent.

While Oxford is one of the best performing cities in England, it struggles to compete with other district councils in the county - South Oxfordshire District Council is the joint best recycler in the whole country with a rate of 63 per cent, according to statistics gathered by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

READ AGAIN: Recycling rates for Oxfordshire - every council ranked

Earlier this week the new countywide partnership of local authorities was formed, with an agreed Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Strategy from 2018 to 2023.

Oxford Mail:

One of the city council’s key aims is to boost its recycling rate significantly from 50.8 per cent.

Tom Hayes, the council’s cabinet member for zero carbon Oxford, said: “The council is passionate about doing all we can to support residents to reduce their waste and reuse and recycle.

“We’re working with neighbouring authorities to develop our new partnership and strategy for reducing waste, and give it real clout by recruiting a full-time waste management officer.”

In July council leaders warned residents that incorrect items in recycling bins wasted £12,000 of taxpayers’ money over a six-week period.

READ AGAIN: Wrong items in recycling bins is wasting thousands of pounds

Incorrect items in blue recycling bins included food and food-soiled items, black bin liners, nappies and textiles.

If included, they can lead to an entire load being rejected.

Oxford Mail:

Ian Clarke, of Abbey Road, West Oxford said he saw an inspector checking recycling bins last week.

He added: “The recycling team came down our road to collect our recycling as usual but on this occasion they had in tow a Jobsworth inspector looking into the bins then telling the operatives to collect or not to collect the recycling.

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“He subsequently applied stickers to the bins saying there were contaminants in the bins.”

Mr Clarke claimed the inspectors’ actions were ‘driving the surge in fly-tipping around the city’.

The five district councils and county council have joined together to formally reinstate the Countywide Partnership on waste management five years after the disbanding of an Oxfordshire Waste Partnership.

The newly formed Oxfordshire Environment Partnership (OEP) features all five district councils responsible for collection and disposal of recycling and waste in the county - Oxford City Council, Vale of the White Horse, South Oxfordshire, West Oxfordshire, Cherwell and Oxfordshire County Council.

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The Strategy aims to keep household waste growth to zero (per person per year), increase the amount of recycled household waste to 70 per cent by 2030, and send less than three per cent of household rubbish to landfill by 2020.

The city council has adopted the Strategy, and created a full-time Partnership Officer post.