We are not recycling enough of our rubbish

The council says we need to reduce the amount of waste we produce.

Hertfordshire County says residents currently recycle 35% of their rubbish, but it's not enough.

Now, every resident can have their say about what should be done about local waste, as landfill sites fill up and other options run out.

According to Hertfordshire County Council, more than half a million tonnes of household waste was produced last year and 60 % of it was sent to landfill.

The council says disposing of rubbish is becoming more and more difficult, so the authority wants residents to "reduce, reuse and recycle as much of their waste as possible."

A public consultation on the future of waste management in the county started on 8 January.

A survey has been circulated to every household in the county, via Herts Direct magazine, urging people to respond to the consultation on ways of creating less waste, recycling more and dealing with the residual waste that’s left.

According to a council spokesperson, the landfill option is no longer viable because it harms the environment and is becoming more and more expensive.

"The situation that we’re faced with means that we don’t have an option to sit back and do nothing - we now need a fresh approach to waste management.

"Hertfordshire residents already recycle well above the national average but we still need to improve on our current rate of 35 per cent, and more importantly, we need to reduce the total amount of waste we produce."

That's why Hertfordshire County Council is asking for feedback on doorstep collections, recycling and alternative methods of waste disposal.

Click here to have your say about the area's recycling.

If you would like to be sent a summary document and questionnaire, or a copy of the full technical plan, called the Draft Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Hertfordshire, you can ring the local rate helpline 08457 425 000.

The consultation runs until 30 March and the results will be published in early summer.

You can discuss the area's rubbish problem in a discussion thread running in this site's forum.

January 13, 2007