Record rubbish levels are sent for recycling

According to the county's waste contractor, Severn Waste, it handled more than 69,000 tonnes of recyclable materials in 2004 thanks, in part, of the success of the kerbside recycling scheme.

However, one problem the company is keen to highlight is contamination of refuse and is calling on households to ensure that only recyclable materials are put in the kerbside collection sacks.

"What most people don't realise is that when the recycling sacks are collected they are not whisked off to some magical machine that sorts out the different materials," said Clare Haste, who runs the Hill and Moor reclamation facility, near Pershore.

"Most of the sorting is done by hand by our operatives and the last thing we want to do is to handle unwanted refuse."

She said they have had several instances of sharp objects, such as needles and blades, being found in sacks.

John Lashley, Severn Waste's director of operations, said receiving clean materials is important because things like paper, cardboard and cans are reprocessed and manufacturers want good quality materials.

"Poor quality, contaminated materials affects all participants of the recycling process. It has a lower value and in the worse case may have to be rejected altogether," he said.

With regard to the kerbside collections, the company's Hill and Moor facility, received around 10,500 tonnes of bagged recyclable waste from Malvern Hills, Wychavon and Worcester City - a record level.

The recycling rate at most sites hit 40 per cent or more of all the rubbish deposited. The aim is to raise the total recycling rate up to more than 50 per cent.

Though recycling levels are expected to increase in 2005, there is still a problem with the number of households participating.

In Worcester more than 90 per cent of homes are serviced by the scheme but in the worst offending areas - Tolladine, Brickfields and Warndon - participation is as low as 29 per cent.