16 July 2008: Chair of Lewes District Council joins recycling team

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It was “back to the floor” recently for Cllr Carla Butler, Chair of Lewes District Council, when she joined a team from the Council’s Waste & Recycling Services for a morning’s work, collecting kerbside recycling.

Cllr Butler is focusing on Citizenship during her term of office as Chair and is encouraging people to work together to enhance the community in which they live.

Kitted out in a reflective jacket and safety boots, she made a 8am start from the Council’s depot in Robinson Road, Newhaven to accompany a team of kerbside collectors covering rounds in Newhaven and collecting materials for recycling as part of the Box It! Kerbside recycling scheme.

Cllr Carla Butler said “It was interesting and helpful for me to experience first hand how our members of staff collect the district’s recyclables. A whole variety of materials including paper, cans, plastic bottles, clean aluminium foil, small items of scrap metal, glass bottles and jars as well as textiles and bric-a-brac can be collected from your door. I would urge anyone who has not signed up to the kerbside Recycling Scheme to do so by contacting customer services on 01273 484999”.

Lewes District Council provides two boxes that can be placed as near as possible to the pavement at the front of your house on collection days, as well as bags to place glass and textiles in.

We have also produced some helpful information on “How to prepare your recyclables” which include the following handy tips:

• Discard all plastic covers from magazines and junk mail
• The lids from plastic bottles can be recycled. It is best to remove the lid and squash the empty clean bottle flat then replace the lid.  This will keep the bottle flat and create more space in the box
• Metal lids and caps from glass jars can be recycled, place them in the bigger box
• Wash out all plastic bottles, cans, aluminium foil, glass bottles and jars using the end of the washing up water after you have finished the dishes if possible
• Collect up clean aluminium foil in a bag and when the bag is full put it in the bigger box
• Ensure there are no plastic bags in either box except for the one containing clean aluminium foil

For more information about joining the Box It! Kerbside recycling scheme and what can be recycled please contact customer services on 01273 484999 or visit http://www.lewes.gov.uk/environment/760.asp

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Media enquiries to Liz Lacon, Communications Manager