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’).

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.