Council Declares War on Waste

Ford Fiesta car

Rochdale Council has declared war on waste by launching a high-profile recycling competition across the borough that will see one lucky resident winning a brand new Ford Fiesta car!

To encourage people to get involved with recycling, two media students from Hopwood Hall College in Middleton have produced a highly entertaining 5-minute DVD about kerbside recycling across the Borough of Rochdale. It was made in the Harry Enfield ‘public information style’ and informs residents how, why, when and what to recycle.

Councillor Ann Metcalfe, Portfolio Holder for the Environment who launched the competition said:

“This is a fantastic incentive to encourage more people to recycle. We must all work together to achieve our target of 20% if we are to avoid the fines of £150 per tonne above our allocated landfill allowance. I want to thank the students and staff of Hopwood Hall for their involvement in making the DVD. I am sure this will be a great aid in getting the message across that we can all play a part. Recycling is the responsibility of every member of every household in our borough.”

The recycling crews will deliver the DVD and residents can enter the competition by watching the film and answering one simple question.  Entries will only be accepted on the official entry form that will be collected, (along with the DVD), with the recycling. Entries can also be posted in special bins at the 3 civic amenity sites.

Residents who don’t receive a DVD, but want to watch it and enter the competition can either look at it on a computer at their local library or download it from the council website: www.rochdale.gov.uk. along with the Official Entry form.

The competition is open to any resident across the Borough who currently has a green kerbside box for glass and cans, or blue bag for newspapers and magazines. If you don’t have either, or have lost them and would like to request one or both, then please call the Environmental Hotline on 0845 226 1800.

The closing date for the prize draw is 31 March 2006 and the draw will take place in April at a Full Council Meeting.

Talking about the War on waste, Tara Dumas, the Council’s Waste Minimisation Manager said: “Ours is the first council in the North West to undertake this type of competition and every DVD we get back we will send out to another resident.”

OMC Ford in Rochdale supplied the car, a Ford Fiesta which has an engine manufactured at the Dagenham factory that uses electricity generated by wind power.