Cutting-edge equipment designed to sort household waste before it's recycled has been unveiled by Southend Council.

The new materials sorting facility at Cory Environmental forms part of a desperate initiative to smash through tough Government recycling targets.

Southend's mayor Nora Goodman flicked the switch to start the new machine at the depot in Eastern Avenue. The recycling scheme, launched in November, collects newspapers, magazines, food and drinks cans from homes across the borough.

The new facility will be able to handle five tonnes of material an hour. It will sort paper from the cans and the aluminium cans from steel cans before each is recycled.

Lucy Thompson, partnership recycling officer, said: "This facility means goods recycled in Southend can be sorted in the town rather being sent elsewhere.

"This has important environmental and economic benefits."

Councillor Jean Sibley, planning and transportation chairman, added: "The aim of the recycling scheme is to make it easier and more convenient for Southend people to recycle their household waste.

"All people have to do is put out their newspapers, magazines and food and drink cans for collection at the kerbside."

"The new sorting centre means they don't have to sort out one type of material from another."

State of the art - mayor Nora Goodman, joined by the council's George Krawiec and Cory's Lucy Thompson and Paul Redman, turns on the machine

Picture: ANDY PALMER

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