Shrewsbury cardboard collection is boost for charities
A community cardboard recycling scheme set up following the axing of council-run kerbside collections has returned to Shropshire.
The Cardboard Christmas Group was set up last year after hundreds of thousands of householders were left having to drive to one of the county's five recycling centres or recycling banks to get rid of unwanted cardboard.?And it is looking to repeat its success again this year.
Environmental group Transition Town Shrewsbury's volunteers were out on the streets of Shrewsbury on Saturday for the launch of the project.
About 11 tonnes of cardboard was taken to four collection points throughout the day.
The collection points were at the United Reform Church, in Abbey Foregate, the Red Barn pub, on Longden Road, the Spar precinct, in Castlefields, and the Riversway Church, on Lancaster Road.
About 430 vehicles visited Red Barn and about 120 went to Riversway.
The unwanted card is collected and then sold to Oswestry Waste Paper.
Alison Thomas, from Transition Town Shrewsbury, said the day had been a big success and the proceeds will be split between Severn Hospice, Hope House and Friendly Neighbours.
She said: "We had 45 volunteers in the different parts of the town. We wanted to give people a solution to recycle cardboard.
"We are really happy with the response and everyone has been asking when are we going to do it again."
Ludlow Pride of Place is also running a Christmas cardboard collection scheme and the two groups have launched separate guides to help other communities organise their own schemes.
The collections were launched in response to Shropshire Council and its waste contractor Veolia's decision in November 2011 to put a ban on cardboard in garden waste which affected more than 130,000 homes.
By David Seadon
