Golden start for Gamesley recycling scheme

Gamesley's first golden ticket winners are celebrating after winning £50 for being champion recyclers.

This summer's Recycle for Gamesley campaign has seen team members Emma and Liam visit over 1,000 homes in the area to spread the word and encourage people to recycle more of their household waste via their brown bins and green boxes.

It's a message that's been enthusiastically received with 500 golden tickets being issued to people who left the right bin out, with the address label on, and with the right items in it on the right day.

Tickets returned to golden boxes in the library and neighbourhood office were entered into a prize draw and three lucky recyclers - Janice Etchells, Rachel Lawton and Rebecca Coulson - were selected.

Councillor John Haken, Executive Member for Operational Services at High Peak Borough Council, said: "People in Gamesley have really taken to recycling this summer - it's been a fantastic effort and we're delighted with the results so far."

There's another chance to win coming soon so people are reminded to make sure the only plastic items in their bin are plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, margarine and ice cream tubs, fruit and veg punnets and ready meal trays. All items should be empty and rinsed out so there is no food or liquid left inside.

Please don't put plastic bags or lightweight plastic film in your bin - some people just missed out on a golden ticket due to these items.

Councillor Haken added: "We're pleased to recognise the contribution residents are making to reducing waste through the golden ticket prize draw and I'd like to congratulate Janice, Rachel and Rebecca for leading by example and getting their recycling right."

Their winning ways will be continuing with all three commenting on the success of the programme. Janice, who didn't have a brown bin before the scheme began, now says she puts more in there than in her black bin and Rebecca has found the sorting wheel particularly helpful for explaining to her children which items go in which bin. Rachel welcomed the address labels for bins and feels that recycling is a "good thing" all round.

The Recyle for Gamesley campaign is being run by the Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council and Resource Recovery Solutions Ltd.

Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins said: "The success of the scheme in Gamesley is really encouraging. I welcome this enthusiasm for recycling which helps to reduce the considerable costs of waste disposal.

"Each year the county council spends £20million on dealing with waste that residents put in their non-recycling bins.  This is money we can ill afford at a time when we are getting less money from central Government to run our services. So schemes like this one in Gamesley which spread the message about the importance of recycling have our full support."