PREPARATIONS are underway to help prevent a major shortage of pink recycling sacks in Castle Point for a third year running.

For the past two years campaigns by Castle Point Council encouraging families to recycle over Christmas were so successful the borough was left in short supply of the pink bags.

Rations were enforced to cope with the shortage, with families restricted to collecting only five individual sacks each, at a time when households produce more rubbish than at any other time of the year.

Now the authority is determined to try and prevent it happening for third consecutive time.
The council has revised its ordering schedule and is already stock piling supplies in preparation for the festive season.

A spokesman from the council said: “Learning from the experiences of last year, and the tremendous efforts made by our residents to recycle over the Christmas period we have improved our ordering procedures for plastic sacks.

“Stocks of pink sacks are available now for collection from libraries around the Borough, Runnymede Pool and the Council Offices in Thundersley. We would urge residents to pick up their sacks soon in readiness for the extra waste they will generate over the Christmas period.

“We’d like to thank residents for their efforts throughout the year and encourage them to recycle as much of their Christmas waste as possible, again this year.”

Record-breaking amounts of waste continue to be recycled in the borough, as enthusiastic residents help save more than 50 per cent of household waste from landfill.

In the first six months of this year alone, 4,800 tonnes of rubbish have been recycled.

Councillor Ray Howard, cabinet member responsible for waste, said: “We are stocking up and making sure we are ready. We must play our part and do out best not to get caught out like we did last year.

“It is so important people do their upmost to recycle and that we keep up our good recycling rates.It costs Essex County Council £19million every year in land fill taxes, and this price goes up every year.

“Residents have responded so well to our recycling schemes and we want to encourage that.”

A roll of pink sacks is sent to households once a year, with additional sacks usually available from leisure centres, libraries and council offices in Castle Point.