 The council spent �6,000 bringing the recycling case to court |
Recycling in Exeter has increased since the attempted prosecution of a woman accused of contaminating her recycling bin, the city's council says. Donna Challice, 30, of Wonford, was acquitted of putting ordinary rubbish in a special recycling bin by Cullompton magistrates in July.
But Exeter City Council said the case still had had a marked effect.
The council said recycling for the April to June period was 31%, compared to 25.5% for the same time last year.
More care
Exeter City Council spent about �6,000 bringing the case to court, the first of its kind in the country.
Although Ms Challice was acquitted, the council said nationwide coverage had increased awareness of the issue and, as a result, enforcement officers had reported people taking more care over their recycling since the case.
Councillor Peter Edwards said: "People did start taking it seriously when they found out you could be prosecuted for not taking proper care. It did bring it to the forefront of people's minds."
He added that he believed people realised that rates would increase further.
He said: "Once people start recycling, like anything good in life, you carry on."
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
