Anger as Most Miss Out on Plastic and Cardboard Recycling Collections

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Jul 2008

South Manchester Loses Out Due to Labour's Recycling Incompetence

John Cameron, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Burnage Ward, has slammed Labour-run Manchester City Council for failing to introduce cardboard and plastic recycling collections across South Manchester. After years of calls from the Lib Dems and local people to have the range of materials collected from the kerbside increased to include plastics, directories and cardboard, the City Council is at last taking action - but only in a handful of places.

Councillor John Cameron said:

"If materials such as plastic and cardboard, which can be recycled, are put in the ordinary rubbish bin, they end up in landfill sites, which is bad for the environment and costs the council tax payers money through landfill taxes."

"Manchester Liberal Democrats have argued for years that the Council should encourage more recycling by collecting other materials, like plastic and cardboard. We know that local people want to recycle these things, but the Council have not been making it easy by only collecting glass, aluminium and paper."

"At long last it seems that Labour has started to listen and are bringing this in - but why only to a few areas? It is great news for the people of parts of Whalley Range and Sharston, but what about the residents of Burnage, Withington, Didsbury, Northenden and Chorlton Park?

"After all these years of delay, it is high time that they got their act together and offered a comprehensive recycling collection service across the whole city."

Lib Dem Councillor for Chorlton Park, Norman Lewis, added:

"It makes no sense that residents of Chorlton who live in the areas covered by Whalley Range and Chorlton Wards will get the improved recycling service, but those who happen to live in the Chorlton Park Ward will not. It is simply unfair and incompetent."

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Wards to have the new recycling service across all or some of the ward:

Chorlton, Whalley Range, Sharston, Woodhouse Park.