ÒITÕS just like ChristmasÓ - thatÕs the message from recycling staff as East Hampshire bottle banks are filled to bursting point.
Residents are now the best recyclers in Hampshire and among the top ten in the country as glass recycling deposits have risen by a massive 50 per cent.
Bottle banks in supermarkets and car parks have been piled high in recent months in scenes reminiscent of Christmas and new year.
East Hampshire District CouncilÕs waste reduction officer, Sarah Incher, said: ÒThe sudden increase could be due to the hot weather and more barbecues or it might be that pubs and restaurants have been using the banks. Perhaps people are more recycling conscious since the introduction of our household recycling service and the associated publicity.
ÒEast Hampshire residents now recycle 30.6 per cent of all their waste, making them the best recyclers in Hampshire and among the top ten in the country.Ó
But all these extra bottles could pose a few problems for recycling staff as David Onslow, EHDC cabinet member for environmental contracts, explained: ÒThis is very good news and if the recent surge in bottle recycling is more than a blip we will need to find a way of dealing with a longer term increase.
ÒSome possible solutions are more frequent emptying of the bottle banks, or offering a competitively priced trade bottle collection service to pubs and restaurants.Ó