20.03.23 – Recycling Success in Staffordshire, Homes for Ukraine Scheme

More than 45,000 tonnes of waste recycled, £50,000 investment in a single site and just one per cent of waste sent to landfill.  These are amongst the successes of Staffordshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres since they were brought back in-house by the county council last year.

Other highlights for the service include improved customer satisfaction and additional investment in staff training, equipment and vehicles.  The service also recovered energy from around 40,000 tonnes of waste that could not be recycled. This was taken to a state-of-the-art facility at Four Ashes, where it was processed and turned into electricity and transferred to the National Grid.

Further developments include declaring all 14 sites, including Newcastle Recycling Centre at Leycett, as anti-idling zones to reduce air pollution from vehicles in the local area.

People can find their local recycling centre by visiting: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/recycling

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More than 900 Ukrainians have been welcomed to Staffordshire homes since the start of the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

As the scheme marked its one-year anniversary last week, Staffordshire County Council is thanking sponsors who have selflessly opened their homes to Ukrainians in need.

Nearly 500 Staffordshire residents have generously given accommodation to residents of Ukraine, who fled their country after the Russian invasion.

Around 600 Ukrainians remain in the scheme, with 300 others either moving back to Ukraine or securing alternative accommodation.

Some, such as Olena and Kateryna (see pictured with John Henderson), have managed to secure jobs in the county. The pair have secured full-time jobs at Staffordshire County Council in their Business Executive Support Team and Adult Social Care departments.

The Homes for Ukraine scheme in Staffordshire is administered by the county council alongside district and borough councils, health, education and the voluntary sector.

And, over the past year the county council has put a dedicated resettlement team in place to deal with the Homes for Ukraine scheme and other asylum matters.

Anyone who wants to be a sponsor can visit www.gov.uk/homesforukraine for more information.