Issue 215 - BT22 • BT23
Almost 80% of 2030 Recycling Target met!
Ards and North Down Borough Council has recently announced a remarkable 15% increase in recycling rates, marking a significant step towards achieving a 70% recycling rate by 2030 as outlined in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022. This substantial improvement brings the Council to almost 80% of its 2030 target, showcasing its commitment to environmental sustainability. Since its establishment in April 2015, Ards and North Down Borough Council has been at the forefront of sustainable waste resource management. The Council’s dedication to environmental stewardship and financial responsibility has led to the implementation of several transformative initiatives, resulting in a substantial increase in recycling rates from 40.6% to 55.5% and a significant reduction in landfill waste. Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart commented, “Our strategic approach from the The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour, with P3 pupils at Andrews Memorial Primary School (Comber) together with their teacher, Mrs Lynsey Ambrose, and Principal, Mr Colin Fulton
Tallest Sunflower ‘In Bloom’ Competition Open for Entries!
More than 11,000 packets of sunflower seeds have been distributed to children across the Borough to encourage them to test their ‘green fingers’ and enter the Ards and North Down In Bloom Tallest Sunflower competition! Open to those aged 16 or under, Ards and North Down Borough Council’s competition offers a chance to win gift vouchers while helping to make our Borough an even more beautiful place to live.
Running as part of the Council’s ‘In Bloom’ initiative, the Tallest Sunflower contest is running alongside several other In Bloom competitions that are open to those under the age of 16 including
Best School Gardening Project, a painting competition and the Young Volunteer of the Year. There are also competitions for the more experienced green fingers out there including Best Kept Front
Garden, Gardening for Wildlife Award, Volunteer of the Year, Best Kept Commercial Premises and Best Kept Community Planting Scheme.
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outset has been instrumental in achieving these positive outcomes, and we remain dedicated to reaching our 70% recycling target. This is a great example of how the new Council created under Local Government Reform in 2015 has really delivered for the people of the Borough. He continued “The Council’s recent efforts have not only improved environmental governance but have also had a positive impact on the financial burden of waste disposal for ratepayers. The reduction in the amount of waste being sent to landfill annually since 2015 means that the Borough’s ratepayers are now being spared an additional cost burden of £2.5M each year, based on the current landfill tax rate and gate fee”.