Changes to Waste Collections

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 3rd Jul 2006

Residents were able to find out more about the plans for the new recycling scheme in Oxford when a roadshow visited Blackbird Leys last weekend.

The roadshow also asked for people's views on the future of waste management in Oxfordshire.

The Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, which is made up of Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council along with the four other districts in the county, are asking for people's views across the county about the future of waste management.

A special waste trailer highlighting the issues that affect residents was in Blackbird Leys at the Leisure Centre on Sunday 2 July.

Staff from City Works and Councillor Jean Fooks, Executive Member for a Cleaner City, was on hand to discuss the issues and to explain the new recycling scheme planned for Oxford.

Jean Fooks said, "Oxford is about to change the way we collect waste from households to enable much more to be recycled. I hope that everyone in the city will join in the new scheme.

"Our aim is to reduce the residual waste as much as possible so that very little is left for further treatment."

Liberal Democrats have pledged to dramatically expand the types of waste that can be recycled in the city, and the party's new administration has made it a top priority.

Having studied best practice from elsewhere, the City's Liberal Democrats have taken the time to improve consultation. Nothing could dent public confidence in the city's recycling service more than costly, annoying problems as a result of the one-size-fits-all method. Labour and their Green allies had not been prepared to listen to the residents' concerns over large wheelie bins in small terrace houses and the change to fortnightly collection of residual waste.