Kerbside Collections on Queen's Birthday Weekend
Wednesday 22 May 2013
There are no changes to the Council's refuse and recycling services on Queen's Birthday weekend, 1 to 3 June 2013. Transfer stations will be open their usual hours.
Update on What Plastics You Can Recycle
Thursday 23 August 2012
Plastic bags: We can now take all plastic bags, not just supermarket carry bags, e.g. shopping bags, bread bags, pellet fire fuel bags, and even the plastic wrap from The Press.
Please make sure the bags are empty and clean, and place them loose inside your recycling wheelie bin. Clean, dry plastic wrap only.
Disposable plastic (picnic) plates, cutlery and cups: rinsed hard plastic picnic-ware only, no polystyrene plates or cups.
Southbrook Resource Recovery Park
Monday 27 August 2012
The ReSale Store has proven to be a very popular place to shop even in the winter months, as it has a wide range of second-hand goods for sale, from glasses and dinnerware, through clothes, toys, picture frames and books, to furniture and tools, and a lot more besides! While we don’t weigh the second-hand goods in or out, we estimate that we have diverted over 90 tonnes that would normally have been sent to the landfill, through the ReSale Store.
In addition to second-hand goods, we have received 41.6 tonnes of hazardous wastes over the ten month period from October 2011 to July 2012 (19 tonnes more than the same period before the upgrade) and 1,265.7 tonnes of recycling (181 tonnes more), plus new initiatives have resulted in over 80 tonnes of electronic waste being recycled via e-Scrap (2,179 TVs, 641 computer monitors, and 14.2 tonnes of assorted electrical goods) and 10.5 tonnes of paint sent to Enviropaints for recycling.
The changed layout at the transfer station site has also made it easier for residents and businesses to dispose of garden waste, clean hardfill and plasterboard, and 2,124 tonnes of these materials have been diverted from landfill from October 2011 to July 2012 (199 tonnes more than the same period in the previous year).
Waste Management Plan Review
Monday 27 August 2012
Consultation on the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan was held between 28 April and 28 May 2012, with a public hearing and deliberations held on 20 June 2012. The final version of the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan 2012, which had been amended as a result of the submissions received as part of the consultation process, was adopted by the Council at its meeting on 7 August 2012. A total of 53 written submissions were received, and six verbal submissions were heard.
The 2011 Waste Assessment had confirmed that organic waste (garden and food wastes) and waste from construction and demolition are the ‘big ticket’ items now that the kerbside recycling and transfer station upgrade have been implemented. The Waste Management and Minimisation Plan includes a number of options relating to landfill diversion (for example multiple bin kerbside collections and other means of diverting organic wastes, improving access to recycling services for rural residents, cleanfill capacity, and regular waste audits) that the Council will investigate over the next two to three years. The Council will consult with the public on diversion options once the investigations have provided enough information to do so.
Refuse and Recycling Kerbside Collections
Monday 27 August 2012
Winter has seen a bit of a dip in the overall quantity of recycling and refuse collected at kerbside, which is usual for the season, however the wheelie bins have continued to increase total kerbside recycling tonnages since their introduction in April 2010. The increase has ranged from between 15% and 34%, and averages out to be 23% higher than the same period during the previous year.
Unfortunately there has been an ongoing issue with the wrong materials being put in some bins – remember, if it isn’t recyclable (check the sticker on the bin lid, or our website, for what is recyclable) please don’t put it in the recycling bin. Ashes have been a particular problem over winter: they do not belong in the recycling bin, and you need to ensure ashes are cold before you put them in your rubbish bag or rubbish bin.
Don’t forget that if your bin is full and you have more recycling to get rid of, you can drop off excess paper, plastics, glass bottles, tins and cans, and large amounts of cardboard for free at the Council’s Southbrook Resource Recovery Park at 284 Flaxton Road. The RRP also accepts a wider range of recyclable materials than you can recycle at kerbside, and reusable household goods.