Massive recycling boost on the way

Friday, 14 September 2012 11:10

Derbyshire Dales residents are just a few weeks away from being able to recycle more at home than ever before.

Derbyshire Dales District Council has launched an awareness campaign advising local people to get ready for the delivery early in October of new recycling containers.

For the first time every household in the Dales will be able to recycle at home in a service change improvement programme that saves local Council Tax payers £385,000 every year.

The majority of the 33,000 households across the district will receive a new blue-lid recycling wheeled bin and two food waste caddies.

New contractor Serco Ltd will collect food waste weekly on the same day every week, and, on that day, they will also empty on alternate weeks the existing grey household waste bin one week and the new blue-lid recycling bin and existing green-lid garden waste bin together on the other week.

Properties not suitable for wheeled bins will use a blue box and two blue bags to recycle, and properties currently using black sacks for waste because of access issues will be able to recycle for the first time using a combination of bags and boxes. Compostable garden waste sacks will be available to all properties that cannot accommodate wheeled bins.

Currently most Dales households have two collection days - one for household waste and one for recycling - but this will change to a single weekly collection day when the new collections kick in. It means some collection days may need to be changed but, full instructions and a collection calendar will be included when the new containers are delivered in October.

The new blue-lid bin will be used to recycle tins, cans, glass bottles and jars and, for the first time, plastic bottles and containers, foil trays, aerosols and beverage cartons. An insert that sits in the top of the blue-lid bin will be used to recycle paper and cardboard. Additional paper and cardboard can be recycled using existing blue bags.

The smaller of the two new food caddies is designed to be used in the kitchen, with the contents transferred to the larger lockable kerbside caddy for the weekly food waste collection.

Leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council, Councillor Lewis Rose OBE said: 

"These changes are a direct response to what residents told us they want – to recycle more at home. Very soon that's exactly what they will be able to do.

"October is a massive month for us, for our new contractor and for our residents, and we are working hard to ensure everyone gets the message about the collection changes.

"The good news is that Serco re-employed the crews from the former contractor and have now been working the old rounds for the past month. In a change of this scale there are bound to be some teething problems, but we are confident we can make the improved new service work for everyone.

"Our main aim is to get information out there, and soon every household in the district will be receiving through the post from Serco's teams an initial explanatory leaflet. A more detailed instruction leaflet and a new collection calendar will be delivered with the new containers in October. The District Council is also promoting the changes with a mobile exhibition, posters, media advertising and even a YouTube video, which goes live at the end of this month.

"We'll be using our @derbyshiredales Facebook and Twitter channels to keep our followers updated and on our waste and recycling pages we've set up a list of useful frequently asked questions (FAQs). Also on our website from the end of this month a new postcode search facility will enable residents to check on their collection day and view a collection calendar."

Councillor Rose added:

"Our customer service team is bracing itself for an influx of calls from local people now that the communications programme is underway, but we hope all the information you need will be included in the detailed instruction leaflet when your new containers are delivered.

"To help answer any questions residents may have, we are running roadshows throughout the Dales for three weeks from 24th September. In the first week we will be visiting Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock and Wirksworth; then in the following two weeks we will be setting up the roadshow in the towns and villages, wherever possible when the new bins are being delivered that day. These roadshows will be staffed by the District Council and Serco to show people the new bins and demonstrate how to use them.

"We appreciate the big question from some people is will a fortnightly collection of household rubbish be enough? Our response is it works really well elsewhere so please give it a try. There's actually very little now that our residents can't recycle, so if people are still filling their grey household waste bins after the changes happen, we are always happy to provide advice on how to reduce their waste."

More information is available online and on the Waste Helpline 01629 761 122 or by email waste@derbyshiredales.gov.uk

Key things for Dales residents to look out for early in October

• Two new food caddies - a kitchen caddy and a kerbside caddy - will be placed alongside the new blue-lid bin on delivery.
• The blue-lid bin will have an insert for paper and cardboard.
• A roll of optional compostable kitchen caddy liners will be in the food caddy.
• A detailed instruction pack including a new collection calendar will be inside the food caddy.
• A bag to recycle household batteries will also be inside the food caddy.
• When residents receive the new containers they will be allocated a collection day on which to put out waste and recycling.
• Food waste will be collected weekly.
• Recycling, household and garden waste will be collected fortnightly.
• Properties currently on black sack collections may not be suitable for a blue-lid wheeled bin so will have a blue box to recycle cans, glass, aerosols, beverage cartons and foil trays and two blue bags, one to recycle paper and cardboard and the other to recycle plastic bottles and containers.