Commercial Waste Management Thirsk

Thirsk’s household waste is collected and managed by Hambleton District Council, which also oversees the waste collection for nearby Easingwold, Bedale and Stokesley. The entire district, including other small towns and villages, is home to a growing population of nearly 90,000 people.

Hambleton District has repeatedly performed above national averages when it comes to the percentage of household waste that is being sent for reuse, as opposed to landfill or waste to energy. This performance hit an all-time high of 54.1% in 2015/16, and although numbers have dipped since then, they remain stable at around 48% (6% higher than the national average).

An online free-cycling program has seen nearly 4,000 people from in and around Thirsk sign up, sharing their unwanted items with those who might need them, to avoid further waste. In the 12 months between April 2019 and April 2020, an estimated 1.7 tonnes of waste was saved from disposal, reducing CO2 emissions by 0.9 tonnes.

A number of Thirsk-based organisation are dedicated to protecting the natural habitat surrounding the town, in addition to addressing the wider environmental issues that are affecting the planet. Thirsk Community Woodlands Group is comprised of volunteers who donate their time to preserve and develop the local woodlands: their current mission is to develop a new woodland reserve for Thirsk.

Meanwhile, Thirsk Friends of the Earth are attempting to enact environmental change on a wider scale. Taking influence from David Attenborough, the volunteers organise litter picks, patrol the river for pollution and campaign to raise awareness for the current climate emergency. Finally, Thirsk-based environmental consultants MAB Environment & Ecology Ltd specialise in the protection of a number of indigenous species including bats, badgers and barn owls.