Recyclable material is not burned, the political head of Douglas’s bin collection service says.

Environmental services committee chairman Ritchie McNicholl insists recyclables the council collects are ’not for burning’.

He was speaking in response to recent comments stoking the idea that recyclable material collected by the council was incinerated.

’Once again, let me make it perfectly clear, recyclables do go on a journey, but that journey is not to the incinerator at the energy from waste plant,’ he said.

’The journey is to our Ballacottier operational service centre where they are sorted, graded, bulked and baled.

’The material is then either exported to and sold in the UK or sold on-island and re-processed, such as glass, which is crushed into sand and used in road surfacing, all of which brings in income for the council and helps to reduce the rate burden.

’Householders need to understand that the more they recycle, the more gets taken out of the waste stream, and that means the council attracts fewer gate fees at the energy from waste plant, fees which are on the rise annually.

’All of this means less impact on the rate and is why I would urge householders to subscribe to the council’s kerbside collection service.’

He said that the council’s waste services team did all it could to make recycling easier and more accessible, to make it part of a household’s normal daily routine. He added: ’But it can’t do that alone. It needs everyone to play their part, individuals, businesses and government.

’Recycling, though, isn’t just about being the right thing or the responsible thing to do. It’s about helping to reduce our carbon footprint, about taking steps to protect the environment for future generations. And for the council it’s about delivering on its status as a UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man partner.

’We all have a responsibility to reduce, reuse and recycle; to think about how we can, if not prevent, at least reduce pollution caused by our activities. This we must do because the natural environment is as much vulnerable as it is precious.’

To find out more about recycling and the kerbside collection service, visit recyclenow.im or call the waste services team on 696445.

â?¢ Councillors last month rejected a call for bin collections to be cut to once a fortnight.

The town’s recycling rate is only 7%.

Councillor Falk Horning tried to introduce fortnightly collections into the authority’s budget.

He wanted to reduce the service, and provide more recycling containers and green waste bins during the summer.

Despite his defeat, Mr Horning promised to revisit the issue if he is successful in the April local authority elections.