Why has Castlereagh Borough Council introduced the Scheme?
The Council has introduced the Tri-Cycle Scheme to make recycling more convenient and accessible for its ratepayers and to divert waste away from landfill, so as to meet the statutory waste diversion targets laid down by the European Union and Central Government. The Council must modernise its waste management practices and find sustainable alternatives. If the Council did not introduce the Tri-Cycle Scheme it would not meet its waste diversion targets. If these targets are not achieved, the Council will face the prospect of substantial punitive fines that will have to be paid for by its ratepayers. This proposition is unacceptable. The suggestions that services have been diluted and the Scheme is a cost saving exercise are misguided. Every Council in Northern Ireland is faced with the same challenges and choices and is having to review how it manages its waste.
