New recycling collections begin next week

South Gloucestershire Recycling Collections

With new recycling services launching across South Gloucestershire from next Monday (22nd November), new recruits have been trained and new vehicles have been delivered to help ensure the changes run as smoothly as possible for residents.

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) and its recycling and resource management contractor, SITA UK, have recruited more than 30 new crew members and taken delivery of 14 new vehicles to deal with the additional recycling produced from collecting food waste and plastic bottles from the kerbside.

Cllr Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “We have listened to our residents who told us weekly collection of food and kerbside collection of plastics was important to them and it is vitally important that we have the right people in place, using the right equipment to ensure this change in service runs as smoothly as possible.

“Although many of our residents are already keen recyclers, we want to encourage even more people by making recycling as easy as possible – and what is easier than collecting it from your doorstep?”

The fourteen new pod vehicles which will be introduced can hold six tonnes of food waste in a central container, with either plastic bottles or cardboard being collected in the rear compactor. Food waste bins collected at kerbside will be tipped manually into a larger bin which when full is then tipped into the central container by an automatic lift mechanism.

The new employees, who will be driving and loading the new vehicles, have undertaken a comprehensive training and induction programme including health and safety training; familiarised themselves with the new vehicles and the area, and were told of the need to provide excellent customer service.

The additional services, which are being funded from within the council’s existing waste management budget, will allow residents to recycle more, helping to divert more rubbish from landfill and saving money and energy whilst benefiting the environment.

The new service will operate on a two-week cycle. One week residents will put out their:

  • Black bin
  • Food waste bin
  • Plastic bottle bag

And the following week:

  • Green bin for garden waste ONLY
  • Food waste bin
  • Cardboard (this no longer goes in the green bin; cardboard can be collected in the largest cardboard box, or flattened and placed under the food waste bin)
  • Green box (glass bottles and jars, tins etc)
  • Green bag (paper)

Where possible, we are working towards introducing the new services for people who live in flats. During the months ahead we will be contacting residents who live in flats, to agree the best way for them to recycle as much of their waste as possible.

Photo: Cllr Heather Goddard with Mike Wildman, Operations Manager for SITA UK in front of one of the new waste collection vehicles.

More info: Your new collection Service (SGC)

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One comment

  1. I recently noticed that the large green bin is frequently left out by neighbours and wondered what they were putting in it as this time of year. When I looked in their bin it was half full, containing white plastic rubbish bags and card. When the lorry came to empty it the men took it and emptied it regardless of it’s contents. I am a keen recycler but would also find it easier to carry on putting card in the green bin. Surely this incorrect use of the green bin is cross contaminating the rest of the green waste.

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