RECYCLING in Basingstoke has been boosted by a £1million investment in a fleet of state-of-the-art refuse collection vehicles.

This week, in the latest phase of The Gazette's A Place To Be Proud Of campaign, we look at the brand-new vehicles that will make recycling collections simple and more efficient.

Waste management team Onyx is on board and has just launched its new range of lorries loaded with the latest technology.

The nine Mercedes Econic vehicles will boost Onyx's recycling capacity from 23 tonnes to 26 tonnes a week and provide a cleaner and more efficient service - thanks to environmentally-friendly engines.

Maz Akhtar, Onyx's contract manager for Basingstoke, said: "The new additions to the fleet will ensure extra service reliability as every crew now works with vehicles no more than five years old.

"We now have increased recycling capacity and, in partnership with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, we are looking to encourage more recycling by residents."

Onyx will use eight of the vehicles to gather domestic waste with the remaining one used to collect trade waste. But this is not the end of investment in waste management - a specialist glass collection vehicle is also expected to arrive in the town in the near future.

The new vehicles were acquired after a fire at Onyx's waste depot last year which damaged many of the company's vehicles.

One of the lorries has been returned to active service after repair work costing £40,000 and is one of six older vehicles providing back-up for the new fleet.

Councillor David Potter, the borough council's Cabinet member for communities and regeneration, praised Onyx for backing recycling in Basingstoke and called on the general public to jump on the green bandwagon.

He said: "I'm very pleased to see such positive investment in, and commitment to, the borough's waste collection and recycling services.

"Both Onyx and the council have been under pressure to maintain high standards of service delivery since the fleet suffered so much damage during last year's fire.

"The response to this setback has been impressive and I hope that our residents can play their part by recycling as much of their household waste as possible."

The Gazette wants to hear from individuals and organisations that are passionate about recycling.

Are you setting an example for others to follow?

Contact Alex Kalinik on 01256 337421 or e-mail newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk - and if you have a view on recycling issues, we want to hear those too.

Write to The Letters Editor, Gazette Newspapers, Gazette House, Pelton Road, Basingstoke, RG21 6YD, or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk

First published: Friday, March 18, 2005