CAMPAIGNERS are hoping to persuade a Colne supermarket to do a U-turn over plans to close its recycling facilities.

Councillors have been in talks with Asda to persuade them to overturn their decision to shut the facility after it was repeatedly “abused” by trade contractors.

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Negotiations with Pendle Council appear to have now reached stalemate, and a petition is being set up to campaign against the closure.

“We can’t allow this to happen by stealth,” said Cllr Ash Sutcliffe.

“This site is extremely well used.

“In the last year, ‘Colners’ have recycled 24 tonnes of paper, 14 tonnes of glass and two tonnes of cans and tins. And it is not just the town that loses out; charity does too – the Salvation Army has already removed its receptacles, so that’s two tonnes of clothes that might not be donated to this good cause.

“If Asda carries out its threat, a huge extra strain will be placed on the town’s two remaining recycling centres at Sainsbury’s at the eastern end of the town and car park behind the Red Lion in the town centre,” he said.

Pendle Council has offered to empty the skips more often as well as making increased visits to monitor the supermarket’s recycling site in Swinden Retail Park, Corporation Street, and officers have carried out enforcement action against abusers of the site.

“We can’t just stand by and let this happen. People don’t know about this yet and so I want to raise awareness before this facility is shut once and for all. Colne is surrounded by some of the most glorious countryside in this nation and I fear there will be a huge rise in fly tipping if this closure is allowed to go ahead,” said Cllr Sutcliffe.

To view the petition go to change.org/p/asda-colne-stop-the-removal-of-the-recycling-facilities.

Asda was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

n UK households produced 30.5 million tonnes of waste in 2003/04, of which 17 per cent was collected for recycling (source: defra.gov.uk).

This figure is still quite low compared to some of our neighbouring EU countries, some recycling more than 50 per cent of their waste.

There is still a great deal of waste which could be recycled that ends up in landfill sites which is harmful to the environment.

Up to 60 per cent of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.