Students in Leicester are urged to get their rubbish recycled
A major push will be made to encourage students to help boost the city's flagging recycling rate.
Newcomers to Leicester are less-likely than long-term residents to recycle, say environment chiefs.
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Coun Sarah Russell
The city council's environment spokesman, Councillor Sarah Russell, said: "Every year we try even harder to encourage more students to recycle and this year we're doing more than ever.
"We'll have our city wardens at university freshers' events and we've got permission from local colleges to spread the message there too.
"It's not just about telling people how to recycle. It's about helping them settle into the city and realise what services are available, such as the bulk waste collection service and community recycling centres, for example."
The former De Montfort University politics student said she struggled to adapt to the recycling scheme when she first arrived in the city several years ago. She said: "Back then Leicester had the green bag scheme and I sent my housemates crazy because I had about five different bags in our small kitchen for various different types of waste."
Leicester has the worst recycling rate in the county, at 30 per cent – a fall of 2.8 per cent in the last financial year.
Every other district council in the county saw an increase. Harborough's recycling rate was the highest, at 53.7 per cent.
Second-year De Montfort student Gemma Lansbury, 19, who lives near Leicester Royal Infirmary, said: "I think students are much less likely than most residents to recycle because they've got less of an attachment to the city.
"But if wardens are making sure everyone's got a recycling box and know what day to leave it out, then I'm sure people are more likely to do their bit."
Student smokers will also get handheld devices to dispose of their cigarette butts in to help them avoid spot fines for dropping cigarette ends.
Coun Russell added: "One problem in student areas is a lack of the correct recycling equipment. If students don't have a green recycling box at their shared accommodation then wardens will be able to advise them how to get one."
In two weeks' time a new kerbside collection scheme will have a dry run in some parts of the city.
Existing green boxes will be replaced with orange plastic bags in five different areas. They can be used to collect a greater range of recyclable household waste including cardboard, mixed plastics, cans and tins.
The plan will be piloted in parts of Belgrave, Braunstone Park, Rowley Fields, Evington and Eyres Monsell and will run for six months.
Student Gareth Ward, 23, who lives off Aylestone Road, Leicester, said he hoped the scheme would be expanded to cover his area.
He said: "At least we'll be able to recycle pizza boxes and cans of lager with the new system, which we can't now."
Information such as participation rates, any increases in the amounts collected and opinions about using the orange bags will be compiled.
The existing green box scheme was introduced in 2004 but only about half of households use them.
4 Comments
by LeicesterLocal, Leicester!
Monday, September 06 2010, 2:43PM
“Since all councils seem to have different rules its sometimes hard to know when to put out which bags
Why not have a standard ONE PAGE flyer explaining the system and post one through the door of houses who seem not to be recycling - perhaps a few weeks into term when people have settled in ?”
by Nick Di Perna, Western Road
Monday, September 06 2010, 1:59PM
“DMU¿s policy (supported by LCC) of having most student accommodation near the campus appears at first to be wholly rational and responsive to the free market demands of students. But in a wider strategic housing market sense it is increasing polarisation by concentrating more young people in the central areas, and more affluent families in suburban areas. A specific need for family and post graduate housing provision has been recognised by Leicester University but not by DMU.
Insensitively sited purpose-built student developments (PBDs) are also a deterrent in the rebalancing of the community. It has been acknowledged that the sitting of PBDs within areas of student concentration can exacerbate the social, economic and environmental problems caused by demographic imbalance which undermines a community¿s capacity to tackle these problems.
Purpose-Built Development attracts additional HMO conversions. Students leaving PBDs look for housing in the familiarity of the surrounding neighbourhood; and friends of students accommodated within PBDs also look for housing nearby.”
by Paul, Hamilton
Monday, September 06 2010, 11:36AM
“CGLee, what has intelligence got to do with recycling?
It could be that students live in terrace houses generally and there is no where to put all the bins etc. Also the little green boxes are useless!! If it is windy they blow about as the stuff you can recycle in them does not weigh the box down.
Why can the Orange bags not include bottles, as we all know students like a drink and they would seem an obvious thing to come and collect and re-cycle.
Also a lot of recycling is done on weight from what I saw on Panorama and the heviest thing on the programme seemed to be grass cuttings, not many students have gardens. Also the area of the country I think it was Boston which had the best recycling was 1 bin everything goes in it then the council sorted it!
Also perhaps the students are spending more time coming up with solutions for the future, like how to build new clean energy (rather than the waste of time Wind Farms!).”
by CGLee, near Melton
Monday, September 06 2010, 11:07AM
“Students are supposed to be the more intelligent sector of our society. If they cannot understand the implications of not recycling, what chance have the rest of us got?
I am now in my 60s, so the effects of climate change etc. will not be a concern to me for an awful lot longer, but the majority of students are 40 years my junior and most certainly will be affected in the future.
Care for the environment should be a part of every young person's education.”