Liberal Democrats take action to meet recycling pledges

11.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 21st Jul 2007

During the local elections the Liberal Democrats pledged to double recycling rates by the end of their four year term. The first step to meet the recycling promise was introduced at Cabinet on Monday.

Stephen Lloyd PPC, Chris Huhne MP and Cllr Troy Tester demonstrate the new ways residents can pay for the green waste service.

Cllr Troy Tester, Cabinet Member responsible, said: "It is vital we make it as easy as possible for local residents to access the green garden waste collection service. Many people have contacted us over the last couple of years to say how frustrated they were to learn they could only pay for this service if they paid by direct debit. Consequently we will be abolishing this requirement from the beginning of August and in future residents will be able to pay by other methods. This may only be a small step, but it is a first step in the process and it signals the way we will be moving. We want to make it easier for people to recycle and compost their waste and ultimately we are aiming to no longer need to charge everybody for this green waste collection service. This is something I would like to achieve in the medium term.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary Chris Huhne MP who visited Eastbourne at the weekend added: "In analysis of voting records, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have recognised that the Liberal Democrats are far and away the greenest of the three main parties. This early initiative by the new council is very encouraging. I applaud my colleagues and am confident they will succeed in transforming Eastbourne into one of the greenest seaside resorts in the United Kingdom."

Parliamentary challenger Stephen Lloyd said: "I appreciate my colleague Chris Huhne coming down to Eastbourne to update me on a possible snap General Election. After our good result at both parliamentary by-elections in Ealing and Sedgefield last week where we pushed the Conservatives in to a poor third place, I am looking forward to taking on Nigel Waterson enormously. It was also an opportunity for Cllr Troy Tester to be able to bring Chris up to speed with the new recycling initiative from the Council. There were a number of reasons why residents had not wanted to pay for their garden waste by direct debit, such as a lack of a bank account or for personal preference. The old ruling by the council that payment had to be by direct debit was in effect discriminatory. This change proposed by the Cabinet is the right decision; its fairer and its greener."