RECYCLING rates in Christchurch have almost doubled a year after a new service was introduced throughout the borough.

The Dorset Waste Partnership’s new service has led to kerbside recycling rates rocketing from 34 per cent in the period from October 2011 to September 2012 to 61 per cent in the same period of 2012/13.

At the same time, the amount of non-recyclable rubbish collected in Christchurch has gone down by 42 per cent. The majority of rubbish is either taken to a waste treatment facility where additional recycling is recovered or used to generate energy rather than being sent to landfill.

Cllr Margaret Phipps, portfolio holder for the Environment at Christchurch Borough Council, said: “We would really like to thank all Christchurch residents for getting behind the new recycling and waste system.

“The results show that it has been a great success.

“We all need to continue recycling wherever we can not only because of the effect on the environment but also so that we can save a lot of money by not sending waste to landfill, which in turn keeps council tax down.”

The ‘recycle for Dorset’ service allows people to have their food waste collected weekly for composting or renewable energy generation.

The range of recyclables collected fortnightly has increased to include plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays as well as paper and cardboard, tins, cans and aerosols, glass bottles and jars and batteries.

Christchurch is one of the seven Dorset councils that formed the DWP in 2011 and was the first to adopt the new collection scheme in October 2012, followed by East Dorset and North Dorset. All three areas are now recycling more than 60 per cent of their waste. The service will be rolled out in Purbeck and part of West Dorset in March and across the rest of Dorset by 2015.