News

Recycling Help Given to the Visually Impaired in North Down

15 November 2006

In an effort to help the blind and visually impaired with their efforts to recycle at home, North Down Borough Council, along with others local authorities in the arc21 area, can now provide embossed panels for household refuse collection bins that make it easy to identify the type of waste that should go into each container.

Members of VOICE, a Bangor group for the blind and visually impaired, visited Bangor Town Hall this week to receive the panels for their bins from the Mayor of North Down, Councillor Alan Leslie. The panels are constructed using a combination of embossed words and Braille to identify the end use for the bin contents, such as ‘recycling’. Members of VOICE felt that the panels would greatly assist them in identifying which bin to use and so reduce instances of contamination and commended the suitability of the design.

Mayor Leslie commented, “North Down Borough Council is committed to reaching targets to recycle 40% of household waste by 2010 and to do so we recognise that we need to encourage and support all members of the community to recycle and divert as much waste as possible from landfill. We were delighted when arc 21 undertook to develop these embossed panels, which we believe will be a very practical support for the visually impaired.”

At their October monthly meeting, VOICE had a visit from the Council’s Recycling Officer, who provided details of the materials that are suitable for recycling and composting in the blue and green bins. They were also advised that the Council can make information available in a range of alternative formats, including larger print, Braille or on audiocassette where requests are made giving the Council reasonable time to make the necessary arrangements.

The bin panels are available to residents in the North Down Borough Council area, upon application and evidence of need.

To request the panels or access further advice on recycling, blind or visually impaired residents should contact the Council’s Recycling Officer on (028) 9127 8078.

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