Commercial Waste Management Helmsley

Helmsley’s household waste is managed by Ryedale District Council, which manages a district of approximately 20 other towns, villages and hamlets, with over 53,000 people relying on their services. Historically, the region has claimed the top spot in government statistics related to the percentage of household waste sent for recycling, reuse or composting. When these figures were first recorded across the country in 2013/14, Helmsley was one of the 20 or so settlements in Ryedale that sent 52.7% of their waste for reuse, nearly 9 percent higher than the national average! Whilst the area has not reached such dizzy heights since the District Council has consistently performed above the national average for each year after.

With just over 1,500 residents recorded in the government census, Helmsley has a reputation for being a quiet, peaceful place to live. Thanks to a thriving tourist trade, however, the town is regularly thronged with hikers and other visitors from the UK and further afield who spend their time and money in the many businesses the town is home to. Restaurants, pubs, and shops alike see the benefits of the town’s perennial popularity, but unfortunately, this popularity does come at a price.

Although council street cleaners try their best to keep the town looking its best, there are times when Helmsley looks a little worse for wear, thanks to the increased footfall. Thankfully, the town has a task force of local volunteers who donate their time on a regular basis to keep the streets of Helmsley looking their best. Helmsley Litter Pickers (HeLP) picked up more than 100 bags of litter in the last seven months of 2019 alone, showing the extent to which even such a small town can suffer from careless litterbugs. The team is supported by the Helmsley Town Council who pay for their insurance and hi-vis jackets.

The team from HeLP aren’t the only good-hearted residents of Helmsley though. After noticing that certain recycling bins were getting contaminated with other waste at the popular Cleveland Way Car Park, locals banded together to make a representation to the council for a new bin solely dedicated to Tetra Pak cartons. The new bin, installed in July 2019, prevents additional waste being thrown in and clearly states what forms of cartons are acceptable.