Bournemouth may have been ranked top of the country’s recycling charts but there is still plenty of room for improvement according to the Green Party.
Mark Chivers, South East Dorset Green Party Committee Chairman, said: “Ideally we would like to see more fundamental shifts in policy around housing, transport and energy generation.”
He feels that builders could find ways to dramatically cut carbon emissions when building or renovating houses and also thinks people should avoid the use of their cars when possible. The Green Party spokesman added that he is in favour of solar and wind power to make the most of our natural energy sources.
Mr Chivers does accept that recent praise for the area is a positive step, saying: “Coming first nationally on recycling measures is a credible achievement.” He also thinks it is important to involve the public to let them know about ways to solve the environmental problem.
However he warns that council agendas may not always be as clear cut as they appear: “Ways to reduce waste at source rather than relying on recycling would be welcome. Councils could play a huge role in tackling climate change but if they see ‘environmentalism’ as simply a necessity to achieve government objectives then their initiatives can cause a false impression that ‘a lot is being done’ when the fundamental problems are not being tackled.”
Over three tonnes of household materials have been collected by local schools for recycling and Georgina Lamb, Bournemouth Borough Council Waste & Resources Projects Manager, is pleased with the success of the Green Goals recycling scheme, Rags to Riches.
“We are pleased with the quantities that have been recycled and if the scheme runs again next year we would hope that additional schools would sign up which will ultimately generate more textiles for recycling,” she said.
