From April 2008 to April 2009, residents in Wigan Borough recycled:
- 1426 tonnes of glass
- 2000 tonnes of mixed metals
- 7854 tonnes of paper
- 470 tonnes of plastic
- 5000 tonnes of wood
The recycling rate in this period was over 28%, of which over 11% was composted.
All these materials have been saved from costly landfill thanks to residents' recycling efforts using the council's doorstep collection schemes and the roadside recycling points.
In six years, the amount of waste being recycled in our borough has jumped from just four per cent to around 28 per cent. The council has provided more and more services and recycling points to make it easier for everyone to easily recycle materials from their home. Collections for "dry recyclables" (glass, cans and plastics) began for many residents in early 2008 and green waste and paper collections are now widespread across the borough. And with a "bring" site within a mile of most homes, alongside the shops where people buy new bottles and cans, it has never been easier to recycle.
Some facts:
- Wigan Borough residents produce over 151,660 tonnes of household waste each year.
- 42,671 tonnes are recycled or composted
Do more
You can add more to our recycling rates by adding items to your trips to the recycling centres or brown bins. Aerosols account for 4% of metals used in the UK each year - that's 4,500 tonnes of high grade aluminium available from recycled aerosols every twelve months. But some 25,000 tonnes still go to landfill because many people don't realise that they can put their empty spray cans into the can recycling banks or brown bins alongside their old bean cans and tin foil. Please don't squash or pierce empty aerosols, and remove the plastic caps if you can.
