Zero waste target set for Bristol

Image caption, The Avonmouth Household Waste Treatment Centre will become operational in April

Bristol will be recycling everything and sending none of its waste to landfill sites by 2014, the city's council has announced.

The council said two giant household waste plants in Avonmouth will enable it to meet its target.

Councillor Gary Hopkins, Bristol City Council's waste chief, said landfill was neither "green" nor cheap.

"We're not in a position where we can be happy throwing waste, particularly organic waste, into the ground."

He added: "The Bristol public have been wonderful, working with us to reduce waste and recycle more.

"Now we have to move away completely from landfill."

Increasing government levies on each tonne of rubbish that is sent to landfill means that building the new plants will work out cheaper in the long-run rather than continuing with the present system.

One of the plants is scheduled to open next month, the other is due on stream by 2013.

They will handle waste from Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset.

Bristol is also due to step up its household recycling effort, with kerbside plastic recycling becoming available from next year.

In 2010, the city recycled, reused or composted about 37% of its household rubbish.