Pat on the back for recycling supporters

Commenting on the success of local efforts to recycle, Director of Environmental Services Philip Thompson said: “These are very promising results from the efforts of everyone in the Borough of Larne to get behind the council’s recycling programme and in these times of economic hardship it is a benefit to rate payers to reduce costs that are incurred by sending waste to landfill instead of recycling.

“Our targets for this year are to achieve 50 per cent recycling rates and even greater savings for our rate payers”.

The main impact on the figures has been through overall reduction in waste, waste recycling and diverting waste from landfill through the use of blue and brown bins.

Reminding the public of the recycling opportunities in the borough, Mr Thompson said: “I would encourage householders to divert organic waste including food waste and cold fire ash into the brown bin.

“To put food waste in brown bins householders can scrape food straight into the bin, wrap it in newspaper or use the biodegradable bags which are available in local shops.

“Householders should continue to recycle dry materials via the blue bins and be aware that that clean foil containers can now be added into these bins”.

In addition to brown and blue bins, recycling centres are available at Larne, Larne South (Islandmagee/Ballycarry) and Larne North (Carnlough/Glenarm). All waste passing through these sites is now diverted from landfill representing a further saving for ratepayers.

In relation to Christmas and New Year, Redlands will be closed on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 December and Sunday, January 1 and Monday, January 2.

Larne North (Glenarm) and Larne South are unaffected by holiday arrangements and will open as normal on their usual days.