Commercial Waste Management Northallerton

Northallerton is a thriving and bustling market town in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire. With a population of almost 17,000, it is one of the largest towns in the area and serves as the headquarters of both Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council. Yorwaste also has its head office in the town.

There has been a settlement at Northallerton since Roman times, however, its growth in importance began in the 11th Century when King William II gifted land to the Bishop of Durham. Under the Bishop’s authority, Northallerton became an important centre for religious affairs. It was also a focus for many conflicts in subsequent years between the English and the Scots, most notably the Battle of the Standard, nearby in 1138, which saw losses of as many as 12,000 men. There is a pub in the town named after this battle.

Northallerton’s wide High Street is a pleasant busy shopping centre, with many independent shops, cafes and pubs. There is a busy market on Wednesday and Saturday and people come from all over to visit places such as the renowned department store Barkers and Betty’s Tea Rooms. The town was a major stopping point on the coach routes between Scotland and London as it lay on the old Roman road which ran between the two destinations, and this has continued today, with its railway station situated on the east coast mainline which links the north to the south.

Today, Northallerton is a thriving community with many charitable causes supported, with the intention of keeping people active and happy. The Forum, Northallerton’s Community Centre, is one such charitable endeavour that brings a varied arts program to the region, as well as serving as a meeting place for many community groups. People from in and around the local area regularly meet up at The Forum to take part in activities such as the Rock Choir, Boxing, Indoor Bowls and Clubbercise.

Northallerton’s household waste collections are managed by Hambleton District Council who have made bold statements in regards to their approach to protecting the local environment. The Collection Authority undertakes just under 40,000 collections from in and around the area for nearly 90,000 people in Northallerton, Bedale, Easingwold, Thirsk and Stokesley. The Council has been committed to transforming how household waste is collected and where it goes, with the aim of reducing the amount sent to landfill and increasing the amount sent for reuse.

Major changes that Hambleton District Council made to their waste collection service included introducing a new 240-litre black bin for commingled recyclables, replacing the blue boxes (which are now used solely for glass). New waste collection vehicles were also rolled out to deal with larger volumes of waste, the new trucks have been specially adapted for their roles and means that commingled recyclable materials can be kept separate from the glass throughout the collection process.

In 2006, recycling, composting and reuse rates in the area were at a respectable 44.27%, this figure rose slightly to 46.30% in 2008/09, but then plateaued for the years following. The introduction of new recycling service, however, revitalised enthusiasm in the community for the environment and also made it easier for residents to recycle their waste. Figures rose to an all-time high in 2015/16 as 54.10% of all household waste was sent for composting, reuse or recycling – topping all the authorities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. Since then, rates have plateaued once more, but have stayed around a rate of 48%, several points higher than the national average.