The ongoing saga of how Islanders can dispose of their waste continues as the Isle of Wight Council confirms they are to withdraw the mobile recycling unit from tomorrow (1st May).
Already Islanders are struggling to get rid of their waste at Lynnbottom tip, with reduced opening hours resulting in lengthy queues. Now, the Isle of Wight Council say the mobile recycling unit will cease to operate within the next 24 hours due to a lack of use.
In the past the travelling centre, operated by Amey in partnership with the Council, visited areas across the Island where residents could dispose of harder to recycle items.
Between April to December 2017, a total of just 10.9 tonnes was deposited at the mobile centre – equivalent to 6 and a half times as heavy as an average car. This equates to under 0.03% of the total waste for the Island. Although a relatively small amount, that 10.9 tonnes will now be taken to Lynnbottom – during the reduced opening hours – or simply dumped elsewhere.
Councillor Michael Murwill, Cabinet member for waste management has said:
“Ideally, we would like to keep the service running across the Island but that is not viable given the minimal number of residents that use the service, compared to the cost of running it”.
The closure of the service was approved at the Full Council budget meeting in February 2018 and was introduced as a result of reducing finances available to the council along with the need to protect core services for residents.
All of the items previously collected can be recycled at either Lynnbottom Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) or Afton Marsh HWRC.
