Recycling Oxfords waste.

The Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, made up of the county council and five district councils, has launched a public consultation initiative to help draw up a new county waste management strategy this summer. Time is running out for the use of the countys landfill dumps at Dix Pit, Sutton Courtenay and Ardley Fields, as European Union directives over reducing use of landfill for biodegradable waste take effect. The UK government has also set compulsory limits on counties use of landfill (to be reduced in Oxfordshires case from the current annual rate of 200,000 tonnes to 121,700 by 2009) with fines of 150 per tonne of excess. The consultation campaign entitled No Time to Waste is distributing leaflets to libraries and council buildings detailing the alternatives currently on offer. Residents have until 9 July to give their views on the problem. Oxfordshire is already one of the top English counties for recycling, and produces less waste per household than any other county.