Brand new recycling service just weeks away

• Electricals, household batteries, textiles and shoes now part of scheme
• New blue bag for cardboard
• Look out for a day change in some areas
   

Residents in Cheltenham will be able to recycle even more when the new, improved recycling collection service goes live on Monday 16 October 2017.

More types of plastic (pots, tubs and trays) and unwanted textiles and shoes will be collected from the kerbside as part of the new service which is being delivered by the council’s environmental services provider, Ubico Ltd. 

Small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) items can also be collected from the kerbside, including toasters, household batteries, kettles, irons, DVD players, cameras, hand-held power tools and mobile and digital phones. 

Residents will be able to recycle mixed cardboard (brown and grey coloured) by presenting them in new reusable blue bags.

These extra materials are in addition to the plastic bottles, glass bottles/jars, cans/tins, aerosols, kitchen card and paper which are already collected, meaning that there will be very little left which needs to be sent to landfill. The new service follows recent high profile consultations and the changes introduced reflect public feedback.

Councillor Chris Coleman, cabinet member for clean and green environment, said: “October marks an exciting new chapter for kerbside recycling in the borough. We are delighted to be expanding the materials which residents can recycle from the kerbside, particularly for mixed plastics, textiles and small waste electricals. We know some residents have struggled to take these items to their local recycling banks in the past and we are pleased to have been able to respond to this.’’

From 16 October, residents should present their cardboard all together in their new blue woven bag and use two green recycling boxes for their other materials. Residents will need to separate their recyclables so that mixed plastics, tins, cans and aerosols are put together in a box, and paper and glass are put in another. Textiles, small waste electricals and household batteries should be put in separate tied carrier bags and placed on top of either recycling box.

Councillor Coleman continued:  “We have been working with our waste contractor Ubico to implement these changes, which have been possible thanks to new recycling vehicles being purchased by the council. The new Romaquip fleet will allow the collected recycling to be kept separate on the vehicle so maintaining the quality of what is collected and meaning that we can get maximum value for it. This is why it is so important not to mix up items and we are asking residents to use both their blue bag and at least two boxes to put their recycling out separately for collection.”

Throughout September, Ubico will be delivering new blue bags for cardboard to all households, together with information on how to use the service.

The frequency of the fortnightly garden waste and refuse collections will remain unchanged.

And finally food waste will continue to be picked up weekly; one week in the same collection vehicle as the recycling, and in a separate collection vehicle to the refuse on the alternate weeks.

In order to make the collection vehicles as efficient as possible the council is also changing the collection days in some areas. Affected households will receive information directly about this, together with a new collection calendar.

For press enquiries, contact Katie Sandey, communications and web team leader, on 01242 775037, [email protected]

Notes

All press will be invited to a photo call at the recycling centre when the new vehicles arrive, to be confirmed.