JUST five years' worth of landfill could be left in Notts unless more is done to tackle the county's waste.

Experts at Notts County Council say time is of the essence for residents, businesses and industry to start cutting the amount of rubbish we create.

The county council is teaming up with Nottingham City Council to draw up a new strategy to deal with waste in Notts over the next 20 years – and wants people's help.

Wayne Allum, county council service manager for minerals and waste, said: "We are running out of landfill space – we've got about five years' capacity left.

"Trying to find sites that are acceptable technically and to local communities is getting extremely difficult. We need to develop a new infrastructure of different ways of dealing with waste."

Around 4.4 million tonnes of waste is produced each year in Notts, with four-fifths being created by industry and commerce.

The amount of waste is predicted to increase to more than five million tonnes by 2031.

There are three landfill sites in Notts. There are plans to expand the Dorket Head site at Arnold to increase capacity for another 15 years.

A public consultation over drawing up a new Waste Core Strategy starts on Friday.

The authorities say that while efforts to reduce household waste are going well, the amount of rubbish created through business and industry is "a growing concern".

Neil Hunt, county council head of planning services, said: "Things are just not sustainable as they are at present. If we end up having no landfill space we will be in a mess."

Households, businesses and industry recycled around 40% of their waste last year. Mr Allum said the vision is for as much as 70% of waste being recycled in the years to come.

He said: "This is what we think is achievable if everyone and businesses get onboard."

The consultations outline four main options for possible ways forward – minimum change, focusing on recycling, focusing on energy recovery technologies like incineration, and a mixture of recycling and energy recovery.

Councillor Richard Butler, the county council's portfolio holder for environment and sustainability, said: "Councils have the very difficult job of deciding where disposal and recycling sites should be situated in the future. That's why we need to hear people's views now so that we can take a wide range of opinions into account when we put forward possible waste sites.''

Councillor Alan Clark, the city council's portfolio holder for neighbourhood regeneration, said: "It makes sense for the city and county to work together on a waste plan.''

The deadline for responses to the consultation is on October 29. For more information call 08449 80 80 80 or visit www.nottinghamshire. gov.uk.