New recycling services are well underway in South Gloucestershire and many residents have been recycling their food waste and plastic bottles from the kerbside, says South Gloucestershire Council.
The additional services, which are being funded from within the council’s existing waste management budget, allow residents to recycle more, helping to divert more rubbish from landfill and saving money and energy whilst benefiting the environment.
Cllr Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “Overall, the first week of the major new recycling services across the district has been a success. A good number of residents have started to use the food waste bins and put out either their plastic bottles or cardboard, depending on their schedule, which is incredibly pleasing and I would like to thank them for their support. We expect the volume of materials for recycling to increase in the coming weeks as residents get used to the new services.”
Plastic bottles collected from residents are taken to SITA UK’s Collett Way site in Yate where they are compacted and tied into 400kg bales which are then sold to the recycling industry, where there is a well established market. Plastic bottles can be recycled into many different things, including new plastic products, such as bin liners, compost bins and new bottles, and even fleece jackets.
The new service operates 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)
Source: South Gloucestershire Council
