RESIDENTS from throughout the borough now have the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future strategy of waste disposal as local landfill space runs out.

A meeting to discuss major issues such as how to get rid of household waste in an environmentally friendly way, the use of energy from waste, landfill and recycling, will be held at St Helens Town Hall on Monday, March 22, starting at 6pm.

Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority are trying to tackle the problems of dealing with waste over the next 25 years and are consulting with the public as widely as possible across the region.

Every year the people of Merseyside throw away 670,000 tonnes of waste - either in bins, or at the area's waste reception centres - enough to fill three local football stadiums to the brim twice a year. At the moment the Waste Disposal Authority sends 95 per cent of this waste to landfill sites at ever-increasing distances from Merseyside.

St Helens Council is helping to distribute leaflets and information on the subject to keep residents informed of change and opportunities for people to have their say.

FOR further information about the meeting contact Grace Tatlock, the council's recycling officer on 01744 456442.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.