Portsmouth introduces contamination rules for recycling bins
Portsmouth City council is introducing a new ‘bin-tagging’ policy for contamination in recycling bins starting on 1 September 2023.
The policy will be implemented through a 3-step process, the first step will be for recycling crews to identify contaminants and leave a red hanger for residents to show the bin is contaminated. The second step is for the resident to reach out to the recycling team and the third step is for the resident to receive a visit from a waste management officer who will then take away the rubbish as goodwill gesture for the first offence.
Following the first offence residents will have three options regarding their contaminated waste; the first option is to remove the contaminated item/s from the recycling themselves, the second is to take the contaminated bag to their local HWRC centre and the third is to call for a normal rubbish collection, this service carries an extra charge.
Cllr Dave Ashmore, cabinet member for environmental services at the council, said: “It’s important we get recycling right. The wrong things being put into our green bins end up costing the council a lot of money through having to sort items and correctly dispose of them, and that has a knock-on effect on the council’s overall budget, which can be used on other services.”
Brighton and Hove apologises over missed waste collections
Brighton and Hove council has apologised for disruptions to its refuse and recycling collections due to being short of staff.
The council said it will prioritise roads with multiple missed collections and advise residents to leave their bins out and the council will collect them as soon as they can.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, chair of the city environment, south downs and the sea committee, said: “We’re sorry about the very poor service some residents have experienced recently.
“There have been significant staffing issues due to annual leave and sickness which were then compounded by a sudden issue with the agency that usually supplies us with extra personnel. Consequently, we did not have the usual safety net in place to cover shortfalls in staffing. We are working extremely hard to get the outstanding bins collected as a matter of urgency.”
Milton Keynes announces wheelie bin rollout from September
Milton Keynes council has announced it is swapping to using wheelie bins for all refuse collections starting on 4 September.
Residents will be provided with wheelies bins by the council, including two for recycling: one blue for plastic metal and glass; and one red for paper and cardboard.
For residents who do not have the space for wheelie bins they will be able to carry on using sacks that will also be separated by colour.
Cllr Lauren Townsend, cabinet member for the public realm said: “This is a significant project that’s been years in the making and we’re confident it will lead to better recycling, cleaner streets, and less pests. I’d like to thank all residents for helping us make this shift to a cleaner and greener city and especially for everyone’s patience in the early days. As you would expect with a project of this scale, we’ll be learning and improving as we go.”
Tameside issues plea for residents to recycle batteries safely
Tameside council has issued a plea to residents to recycle batteries properly after a waste collection lorry caught fire in Shepley Industrial Holiday, Audenshaw last Thursday (17 August).
Tameside council executive member for Cllr Denise Ward responsible for environmental services said: “This bin wagon fire is a timely example of the hazards of people not disposing of old batteries and electrical equipment correctly. From April 1 to June 30 this year, Greater Manchester’s waste management contractor SUEZ reported 37 fire-related incidents due to lithium batteries alone – which highlights the extent of the problem.
“We want to help make people aware of hidden batteries, and the dangers they can cause, so they can dispose of them safely to keep residents, waste collection crews, recycling centre staff and firefighters safe. I urge people to be responsible – it’s easy to find out where your nearest recycling point is and dispose of your old batteries and electric items there, reassured that you are not going to cause any fires or pose any dangers to anyone.”
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