Apartment blocks in Liverpool city centre are to have a recycling service for the first time

Starting from this week, 11 blocks, containing 2134 flats will have separate collections for recyclable and residual waste. And it is intended to include a further 30 plus blocks with 3,400 apartments in future collections.

Until now most apartment blocks have mixed all types of waste together, often only having one rubbish chute for use by tenants.

Now they are being supplied with Euro bins for recycling and residents are being given sacks for recyclables to put in the recycling bin.  In some blocks smaller recycling bins are being left on landings with the materials being emptied by caretakers into the Euro bin.

Funding for the bins, sacks and leaflets explaining about recycling has come from WRAP – the waste resources action programme – which has provided £70,000.

Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said:

“We know that many people who live in the city centre who want to recycle find it very difficult to do so because of the lack of facilities in their block of flats. Only about 10% of waste in the centre is recycled and we have a target of achieving 55% throughout the city- clearly we need to make significant improvements in this location and having 6,000 more flats able to recycle will make a big difference. Apartment blocks have been built , or buildings converted, without enough consideration for how they manage their waste  and I think that in the past  finding ways we can have a recycling service in the city centre has gone into the ‘too difficult to do’ category. But now  that we have set up  the new company , Liverpool Streetscene Services, we have greater flexibility in our operations and we see city centre recycling  as a priority. The response we have had from residents when we sent them letters telling them about the collections has been 100% positive- they are looking forward to being able to recycle much more easily.”

And Central Ward Councillor Christine Banks said:

“This initiative to increase recycling amongst city centre residents is proving to be a resounding success. Many residents I speak to want to do their bit by recycling more but all too often don’t have the facilities in the blocks they live in for a variety of reasons. The team is working hard to deliver recycling in the city centre by working with residents, landlords, managing agents and student representatives.”

Two new wagons dedicated just to collect recyclable material from the city centre – and record the amount collected per location using geo-tagging technology – will carry out the new service.