Portsmouth Struggles with Recycling as South Oxfordshire Soars
Portsmouth City Council has reported a recycling rate of just 24.7%, one of the lowest in the southeast. Only Dartford records a lower figure. Meanwhile, South Oxfordshire leads the pack with a whopping 63.6% recycling rate.
New Cash Boost to Tackle Food Waste
Environment cabinet member Councillor Dave Ashmore admitted recycling in Portsmouth is a serious problem. But the council is “committed” to fixing it. This year, they’ve pledged extra funding to expand food waste collections citywide.
“When we first introduced food waste recycling it was just for a small area but it was always our aim to provide it to the whole city and I’m absolutely delighted we’re able to do that now,” said Cllr Ashmore.
“Food waste feeds climate change and we want to help people not only recycle it but also reduce the waste too.”
Southsea Students Not the Main Culprits
Neighbouring areas have better rates – Gosport stands at 26.6%, Havant 33%, Fareham 35.6%, and Winchester tops 40.5%. Last year, Portsmouth launched a joint campaign with the University of Portsmouth targeting recycling hot spots in student-heavy Southsea.
Cllr Ashmore stressed that most students aren’t the problem. The trouble comes from residents unfamiliar with Portsmouth’s recycling rules. “We know there are areas of Southsea where it causes a real issue for other residents, and that’s something we need to address,” he explained.
Ambitious Targets and New Recycling Banks
The city aims to lift recycling rates to 30.4% this autumn by collecting over 5,000 tonnes of food waste. This would put Portsmouth ahead of Southampton and Brighton and Hove. Councillors also plan to increase recycling banks to cut plastic waste ending up in general rubbish.
