In a first for the Borough, Great Yarmouth Market Place and Gorleston Seafront have this week received their new street recycling banks.

Separate recycling banks have been introduced at each site for newspapers/magazines, plastic bottles and drink cans. A third set of recycling banks will also be introduced at St. George’s Park in the near future. These banks mark the next step in the Borough Councils efforts to improve recycling facilities and reduce the thousands of tonnes of rubbish thrown into landfill each year.

Rob Cole, Environmental Services Officer said: “Banks such as these have proved to be a great success in other areas and over time we aim to increase the numbers borough wide. As this is a new project we will be monitoring these facilities closely to see how well they are used and where we can improve the service further.”

Geraldine Hough, the Councils Recycling Communications Officer added: “Thanks to the efforts of Great Yarmouth resident’s, great strides have been made in recent years to improve recycling across the borough and we hope the street recycling bins will make it easier for people to recycle whilst away from the home. It would also be great if only the correct recyclable items, namely newspaper, magazines, tin cans and plastic bottles, are put into these banks as normal rubbish will contaminate them. There are normal litter bins very close by for any other rubbish people may have.”

In recent years the borough has managed to increase the amount it recycles from 7.6% to 27% but there is still much more everyone can do to help improve this further. The Council hopes that these facilities will be welcomed by residents and visitors alike as a step in the right direction and will allow people to recycle these items whilst out and about.

The banks, which are clearly marked, are the first of what the Council hopes will be many.

If you visit a street recycling bank and find that it is full or nearly full please ring GYB Services Ltd on 01493 846846 and they will arrange for the bank to be emptied.

For further information contact Rob Cole, Environmental Services Officer or Geraldine Hough, the Councils Recycling Communications Officer on 01493 846441 or email grh@great-yarmouth.gov.uk.