Improvements to the weekly re-cycling collections

Bath & North East Somerset Council is expanding its same day weekly re-cycling service to include cardboard and most types of household plastic packaging such as pots, tubs, trays and bottles, starting from Monday 30th November 2009.

This is good news and in line with the Lib Dem’s zero waste policy.

Between 16th and 27th November 2009 the Council will deliver a leaflet about the changes along with a blue weatherproof bag - for cardboard and brown paper only - to every household covered by the green box recycling scheme. There is also room on the bag for residents to write their address so that waste collectors know who to give a replacement bag to. Collection vehicles have been specially adapted to create extra space to fit the additional material in.

It is important that cardboard is kept separate from the newspapers and other kinds of paper that residents put in their recycling box because they are recycled separately. Once these new collections start, the Council will no longer collect cardboard mixed with the garden waste as this mix has become difficult to compost successfully.

However, there is still a refusal by this Conservative administration to collect 'kitchen' waste for composting. This Council is the only one of the four councils in the old Avon area that does not offer this service.

Kerbside collection of 'kitchen' waste is vital for reducing global warming, because this putrescent waste creates methane, the most damaging global warming gas, in landfill. This administration has scheduled this collection for autumn 2011. The Lib Dems, who would have introduced 'kitchen' waste collection in 2008, call on the Tories to include this service in their budget for 2010.

Further information on what should be placed in the blue bag, recycling green box, and what types of plastic can be recycled is included in the Winter edition of Connect Magazine that will be distributed to all households across the district from mid-November. For more information about the new service, go to www.bathnes.gov.uk/cardboardandplastic or contact Council Connect on 01225 39 40 41 or e-mail councilconnect@bathnes.gov.uk