RESIDENTS of Comet country have been going green, according to the latest recycling figures to be released. Both North Hertfordshire District Council and Stevenage Borough Council managed to beat Government targets for recycling in the last financial year

RESIDENTS of Comet country have been going green, according to the latest recycling figures to be released.

Both North Hertfordshire District Council and Stevenage Borough Council managed to beat Government targets for recycling in the last financial year.

The Government currently requires that 24 per cent of waste is recycled.

In North Herts the figure achieved was 26.72 per cent and in Stevenage it was 27.1 per cent.

Vaughan Watson, head of leisure and environmental services for NHDC, said the council was "very pleased" to have beat the target.

He added: "We put 15,000 brown bins out last year which helped, followed by 16,500 this year.

"We have also been doing a lot of promotional work with doorstep campaigns and roadshows and the message is starting to get through.

"People are becoming better informed and more aware of the consequences of throwing out rubbish."

A spokesman for Stevenage Borough Council said: "Currently, 27.1 per cent of Stevenage's waste is recycled, which is just outside the top 25 per cent of the best English councils for recycling performance.

"This was before we introduced the brown bin scheme for garden waste so we anticipate that the next time the figures are published we will be in the top 25 per cent of performers.

"This figure will also increase when we are able to include kitchen waste and cardboard in garden waste collections.

"This change will be made as soon as Hertfordshire County Council is able to provide a suitable composting facility to accept this type of waste."

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www.north-herts.gov.uk