AS the Council continues to upgrade its waste collection service, distributing tens of thousands of brown bins across the district, Fermanagh householders are being reminded properly separating their rubbish helps the environment and saves money too.
The latest statistics to be released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) show the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) area had the lowest waste collection tonnage of any local authority in the North, coming in at 12,896 tonnes for the first quarter of the year.
Additionally, from January until March, the FODC area had the highest household waste recycling rate, with 45.2 percent of all rubbish here reused, recycled or composted. Across the North the figure was 39.7 percent.
However, while FODC has an impressive and improving recycling record, the district still sends quite a bit to landfill, including biodegradable waste. In fact, FODC is currently 366 tonnes over its allocation of biodegradable waste sent to landfill for 2016/2017, which is set to cost the ratepayer due to landfill legislation requirements.
Anthea Owens, recycling, education and grants officer with FODC, said the continued roll out of brown food waste bins across the district should help bring that figure down.
“Yes, we were over our quota this year but hopefully now with all this food waste diverted this will be a very positive thing,” said Ms Owens.
Thousands of homes in the district already have brown bins which they are required to put all their food waste into. A further 24,000 brown bins are currently being distributed locally.
“By September 4, nearly everyone will have [a brown bin],” Ms Owens said. “There will be some flats and hard to access homes where we still have to work out the service.”
Ms Owens reminded people to remember to separate all their waste, from all rooms in the home, such as in the bathroom where people often forget and throw all rubbish in together.
If you are in doubt about what bin to use, visit fermanaghomagh.com or download the FODC “Bin-ovation” app.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere