Cheshire West & Chester Council How to use your new recycling and waste collection service Your detailed user guide For more information please tel: 0300 123 7 026 or email: enquiries@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/recyclefirst working in partnership
Recycling and waste collection service What happens next? How does your new service work? Stage 1 Today Today we have removed your brown wheeled bin; this is the first stage in changing over your collection containers. Inside this pack we have included a compostable bag, please use this to store your garden waste until next week. Please continue to use your existing recycling box service until all these stages are complete. Stage 2 Next Week Next week your household waste will be collected as normal using your existing GREEN colour wheeled bin. Once emptied, this bin will be used for garden waste; a sticker will be applied to confirm this has taken place. You should then place the compostable bag along with any other garden waste into your stickered green bin for collection the following week. Don t worry there is no need to clean it out first. Please DO NOT place your compostable bag by the side of your bin as we will be unable to collect it. Stage 3 Also next week, we will be delivering your new food waste containers along with a new BLACK wheeled bin for household waste. You can begin to use your new BLACK wheeled bin container straight away. Please safely store your food waste containers until the new service begins. Stage 4 June What is your collection day? It will be necessary to change some collection days in order to introduce the new weekly recycling service. You will receive a new collection calendar around two weeks before the new service begins, this will give your new collection day. You will also be able to download your calendars by visiting www.cheshire westandchester.gov.uk/recyclefirst Notification of changes to collection days You can sign up to email alerts, which will inform you about your bin collection day changes due to public holidays or bad weather. Simply register at: www.cheshirewest andchester.gov.uk/ recyclefirst Your new collection service begins on week commencing Monday, 18 June 2012. Unfortunately it will not be possible to collect the new recyclable materials until after this date.
More about your new service When these changes are complete you will have the following: Collected Weekly Food waste A new 23 litre brown food waste bin. This has a lockable lid so can be safely stored outside. A small (7 litre) kitchen caddy is also provided for your convenience. Collected Fortnightly Garden waste Use your existing green coloured wheeled bin for the collection of garden waste. This is collected fortnightly, alternating with your household waste collection. Brown food bin (Page 4) Green Wheeled bin (Page 8) Collected Recycling Weekly Collected Use your existing red and green boxes for recycling. Additional or replacement boxes and lids can be requested free of charge if you need them. Fortnightly Household Rubbish: Use your new black wheeled bin for all remaining household waste. This is collected fortnightly, alternating with your garden waste collection. Red and green boxes (Page 6) Black wheeled bin (Page 9) Please remember All your new containers will be collected from the edge of your property. Please ensure the correct containers are available for collection by 7.00am. If you are elderly, disabled or have a medical condition that you believe may result in you having difficulties moving the containers, please refer to our frequently asked questions on page 11. 03
Collected Weekly Food waste How do you use your food waste service? You may wish to line your caddy using a compostable liner or a sheet of newspaper. We are making changes to the way your food waste is collected so that you can recycle more. To recycle food waste you will be receiving: Starter pack (x1 roll) Place any raw or cooked leftover food waste into the caddy. When full, empty the caddy into your brown food waste bin. Return the caddy to your kitchen ready to be refilled. Keep your food waste bin outside out of direct sunlight. To stop pests lock the outside bin by moving the handle forward. Food bin Kitchen caddy What food waste can you recycle? You can put raw or cooked food in your caddy. You can even scrape uneaten food straight into it. Yes please 4 Meat and fish - raw and cooked including bones. 4 Fruit and vegetables - raw and cooked. 4 All dairy products such as eggs (and their shells) and cheese. 4 Bread, cakes and pastries. 4 Rice, pasta and beans. 4 Uneaten food from your plates and dishes. 4 Tea bags and coffee grounds. Please remember - if you already compost at home please keep composting your uncooked vegetables, tea bags and fruit peelings in your compost bin or heap. No thanks 8 Packaging of any sort 8 Plastic and biodegradable bags compostable liners 04
Your food waste questions answered Lining your caddy You may wish to line your caddy to keep cleaning to a minimum. You can do this with either a couple of sheets of newspaper or compostable caddy liners. You can buy 100% compostable liners from many supermarkets, just look out for this logo. Compostable liners along with other items such as discounted compost bins are available to purchase through our online shop. Visit cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/recyclefirst Why are we doing this? By recycling your food waste you will reduce the amount of food we send to local landfill sites. Rotting food in landfill produces methane gas which contributes to climate change and, as the cost of sending waste to landfill is increasing, you will help the Council and its residents save money too. I don t have time why should I? The new food waste service provides households with a way to dispose of the majority of their smelly waste every week, something which residents have been requesting both locally and nationally. It doesn t take up much time and is easy to do; all you need to do is scrape your food waste into a different container rather than your normal bin. Do I have to use the small kitchen caddy? I have no room and the colour does not match my kitchen. No, the kitchen caddy has been provided purely for your convenience. You may place food waste directly into your brown food waste bin either loose or wrapped in a compostable liner or sheet of newspaper. You can also choose to use an alternate kitchen caddy if you wish. These can be purchased from many supermarkets and online in a variety of colours, designed to match many kitchens. What happens to the food waste? Your food waste is taken to a special processing plant where it is transformed into fertiliser and electricity. Will my food bin smell? As your food waste is collected weekly it should not smell provided you empty your kitchen caddy regularly into the outside food waste bin. This bin has a sealable and lockable lid helping to stop smells getting out, and vermin getting in. Can I use plastic bags to line my kitchen caddy? No, compostable liners decompose in the composting process, however plastic bags and even biodegradable ones will not. If you do not want to purchase liners you can use a sheet of newspaper to line your caddy. REMEMBER: Plastic and biodegradable bags or liners can not be accepted. 05
Collected Weekly Recycling Use your existing red and green boxes for recycling. Inside this pack you will find two new user guide stickers. Please stick these onto your existing containers as indicated The Recycle First collection teams will sort your recycling boxes at the kerbside, placing materials into separate compartments on the collection vehicle. Whilst the different materials will be collected on a single vehicle to help the crews, you will need to place certain items within each box. What goes into your red box? Yes please 4 Plastic bottles (lids can be left on but please squash the bottle first) 4 Household plastic pots, tubs and trays 4 Food and drinks cans and lids 4 Aerosols and foil What goes into your green box? Yes please 4 Paper and envelopes (all colours inc windowed) 4 Cardboard 4 Food and drink cartons eg tetrapaks 4 Phone directories and magazines 4 Glass bottles and jars 4 Clothes and shoes 4 Batteries (car batteries - beside the box) 4 Cooking oil (in a sealed container) 4 Engine oil (in a sealed container) 4 Small electrical items (smaller than a toaster) 4 Spectacles 4 Empty printer cartridges 4 Mobile phones No thanks 8 Plastic film, carrier bags and bubble wrap 8 Crisps, bread and biscuit wrappers. 8 Black plastic including pots and trays 8 Hard plastic eg garden furniture and plant pots 8 DIY and garden chemical bottles 8 Polystyrene packing or trays 8 Tapes, cd cases and toys No thanks 8 Broken glass and jars 8 Light bulbs 8 Plate glass eg mirror and window glass 8 Pyrex 8 Ornaments and toys 8 Electrical items larger than a toaster 06
Collected Fortnightly Garden waste What goes into your green bin? Yes please 4 Leaves 4 Small branches and twigs 4 Grass cuttings 4 Plants and hedge clippings 4 Cut flowers Your existing green coloured wheeled bin will become your new garden waste recycling bin. It will be collected on alternate weeks to your new black household waste bin. You produce a lot of garden waste, can you have an additional bin? Every household will have ONE bin for garden waste; ONLY this bin will be emptied even if more than one is presented. If your household produces a large amount of garden waste, an authorised second bin is available to hire for an annual fee of 40. To apply for this service contact 0300 123 7026. Remember extra garden waste placed out beside your bin will not be collected. Home composting Home composting is a great way to recycle waste into something that can be put to good use on your own garden. No thanks 8 Food and vegetable waste 8 Soil and stones 8 Animal waste and pet bedding 8 Plastic of any kind (including bags) 8 Cardboard Uncooked food waste items such as vegetable peelings, tea bags, apple cores and crushed eggshells can be mixed in your compost with cardboard and garden waste items like twigs and grass cuttings. (Cooked food and meat products cannot go in your composter). For advice or to purchase a discounted home composter visit cheshirewestand chester.gov.uk/recyclefirst 07
Collected Fortnightly Household waste Your new black wheeled bin is for any household waste that cannot be recycled. It will be collected on alternate weeks to your garden waste. Please remember Only ONE black wheeled bin will be emptied per household, even if more than one is presented. Extra waste placed beside or on the bin will also not be collected. What goes into your black bin? Yes please 4 Any other household waste that can not be recycled 4 Polystyrene 4 Crisp and sweet packaging 4 Dog and cat waste (wrapped) 4 Broken glass, bottles and jars (wrapped) By using the new recycling service as much as possible you can minimise the amount of household waste you need to dispose of. Disposing of bulky waste The Council will continue to offer a chargeable bulky waste collection service. This collection service will now be delivered by members of the Cheshire Furniture Reuse Forum which is made up of not-for-profit community groups that collect furniture and electrical goods for reuse. This will help ensure as much as possible of the bulky waste we collect is either reused or recycled. Household waste recycling centres are located across the borough. At these sites you can dispose of bulky items such as carpets, mattresses and beds free of charge. No thanks 8 Hot ash 8 Bricks, rubble, soil or other heavy items 8 Large electrical items 08
Where does all the recycling from your boxes go? Unlike many recycling services all materials collected are reprocessed in the UK. Extra recycling? *Locations correct at time of print If, on a regular basis, you have too much recycling for two boxes, additional containers are available free of charge. Please contact 0300 123 7026 or email enquiries@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk Occasional additional recycling can also be placed out for collection next to your box in a suitable, clearly labelled container such as a carrier bag or a plastic storage box (this container will returned after emptying) please separate materials. 09
Your questions answered Why is my service changing in this way? The new collection service puts Recycling First. Collecting recycling using boxes, rather than wheeled bins, enables the collection crews to further sort the recyclable materials into separate compartments on the purpose built recycling vehicles. As the materials are sorted by hand at the kerbside a wider range of materials including cooking oil and small electrical items can be collected. Whilst this requires a little more effort from the householder, the benefits are clear. Keeping the different types of recycling separate rather than compacting them together and then separating them again mechanically, reduces the chance of contamination and damage. This will enable the new collection service to achieve savings of more than 50m during the fourteen year life of the contract. Can I have a larger household waste bin? A standard 180 litre wheeled bin will be provided to each property for disposal of household waste. This will provide ample space for most households when fully using the new recycling service. We would ask that you try this bin for the first few months. If after this period large households, or those with children in nappies, who are still struggling with capacity may be offered temporary additional capacity. Please contact us on 0300 123 7026 and we will assess your individual situation. Does making these changes make financial sense? Developing a new service which helped keep costs down was a key aim for the new collection contract. The Recycle First service treats waste as a valuable resource, collecting high quality recycling in large quantities. The higher income that can be attracted from the sale of these materials helps to offset collection costs. What happens if I put the wrong items in my bins or boxes? We will leave information explaining that we ve not been able to empty it as it contains the wrong items. Please check the relevant pages of this booklet or your quick start guide to see what can go in your bins and boxes. Once you have rectified the problem we will collect your container on the next scheduled collection. What if I struggle moving my bins or boxes as I m elderly/disabled? We offer a service to collect bins from a more convenient place for elderly and disabled residents. To find out more or to apply visit our website or call 0300 123 7026. 10
When should I put my containers out? Please put the correct containers out by 7am on your collection day, making sure that you don t obstruct the pavements. Once your waste and recycling has been collected, please put your containers back within your property boundary as soon as you are able. What will happen if my bin or box is stolen? Replacement containers are available free of charge. Please contact 0300 123 7026 to order a replacement. If your original container is found or returned please contact the Council so we can remove the additional container. Remember only one black wheeled bin will be emptied per property Cheshire West and Chester Council is taking steps to make sure you can contact us in a way that suits you. We are trialing a number of video kiosks across the Borough, these allow you to talk to and see a customer service advisor face to face, in more locations than ever. To find your nearest kiosk visit cheshirewest andchester.gov.uk Easier ways to contact your Council Visit us We have redesigned our website to make sure you can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can get information, advice and news on-line, it is also possible to report problems and track services that affect you. Visit: www.cheshirewest andchester.gov.uk Phone Us Our Customer Contact Centre is now open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Call us on 0300 123 7026, calls charged at local rate. Follow us You can follow the Council on both Facebook and Twitter, keeping you up to date with the latest news. www.facebook.com/cheshirewest twitter.com/go_cheshirewest Speak to us We understand that sometimes you will want to speak to someone face to face. We have a number of Customer Service Centres across the Borough; they are open Monday to Friday 8.30am -5pm at the following locations: Chester The Forum Office, Chester, CH1 2HS Ellesmere Port Civic Way Office, Ellesmere Port, CH62 0BE Frodsham Princeway Health Centre, Frodsham WA6 6RX Neston Town Hall, High Street, Neston, CH64 9TR Northwich 1 The Arcade, Northwich, CW9 5AS Winsford Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford, CW7 1AH 11
Our commitment to you One of our key aims for the new waste collection service is to deliver high levels of customer service. As part of the Have your Say on the future of waste collections consultation exercise which took place in 2010, the Council conducted a series of roadshows to discover the little things which, if changed, would make the biggest difference to resident s satisfaction with their waste and recycling collection service. The results from this consultation have been used to create our Collection Commitments ; this simple set of commitments will help you to understand what you can expect from us and what is expected from you in return. What you can expect from us What we expect from you Explain clearly what services you can expect to receive Containers must be placed out for collection at the edge of your property by 7am on your day of collection Empty your containers on the dates indicated in your collection calendar Return all your empty containers to their original collection point Only place household and garden waste out for collection in the containers provided Clean up any mess or spills we create during the emptying process Only place the correct items out for collection in the correct containers Ensure all collection staff are well trained and courteous Do not cause obstructions to the footpath or roadway with your bins and boxes on collection day Tell you in good time if we have to make changes to your service, even temporary Clearly show you where the recycling is taken after collection, and what happens to it Allow you to place additional recycling out for collection when you have it (excluding garden waste) Following notification of a genuine missed collection, return and rectify the error within one working day Respond to complaints we receive about our service within two working days. Printed on recycled paper Return all your containers to your property as soon as possible after collection.