Commercial Waste Management Pontefract

Pontefract and neighbouring Castleford are towns in West Yorkshire. Castleford has a population of 40,210 and the town’s history dates back to Roman times, archaeological evidence pointing to modern-day Castleford being built upon a Roman army settlement which was called Lagentium (thought to mean ‘The Place of the Swordsmen’).

There’s a lot more than meets the eye in this town, whether its rugby league, which is like a religion in the area, or historic mills, there really is something for everyone. Explore the town centre and discover its Roman roots at the Castleford Museum, browse independent boutiques among high street favourites, then explore a little further and get closer to nature with the RSPB.

The local community plays a key role in what makes Castleford the place that it is. A number of community-led groups have been established over the years, highlighting the passions and enthusiasm that residents have for their town. Castleford Young Musicians, for example, is a group of 50 musicians aged between 8 and 25 who regularly perform concerts in the local area.

You can also visit Pontefract, population around 31,000, another historic Yorkshire market town famous for its popular liquorice ‘cakes’. Nearby, to the east of the A1 ‘Great North Road’, lies Ferrybridge, a historically important crossing of the River Aire and perhaps best known for its power stations. The town centre is home to a selection of Grade-listed buildings which are under the watchful eyes of Pontefract Civic Society. The Society has spent over 50 years ensuring that the local heritage of Pontefract is preserved and relies solely on volunteers to do so.

Pontefract in Bloom is another group dedicated to making the town a better place to live in. The volunteers donate their time to community gardening efforts, in a bid to bring more flowers to the town centre. Meanwhile, Pontefract Charity Knitters take a different approach to helping the community, the members of this group meet once a month for a ‘knit and natter’, then twice a year to hand in their makes and distribute them to those in need.

Both Pontefract and Castleford’s household waste is managed by Wakefield District Council. The entire district also includes Wakefield, Ossett, Featherstone and other nearby settlements, encompassing a total population of over 322,000. Like many other districts in North Yorkshire, Wakefield District’s recycling rates were well below average in 2007, however as attitudes have changed and new collection strategies have been implemented, these figures have improved significantly. Over the course of 10 years, the overall percentage of household waste sent for recycling, reuse or composting has increased by nearly 20%.

Both Pontefract and Castleford are supported by community groups dedicated to improving the local environment and preserving the heritage that the district has in abundance. Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens are one such volunteer group that is committed to raising funds for the continual upkeep of the public Valley Gardens, which sadly fell into disrepair over a number of years. On a larger scale, Extinction Rebellion Pontefract is the biggest group of its kind in the Wakefield District. In March 2020, this group of environmental campaigners chose to march on Pontefract with a list of eco-demands to raise to those in power.