Sunday, 20 July 2008
Yes, through the Clean Neighbourhood Act and Fixed Penalty Notices, but we would much rather ask you to work with us in partnership to accomplish a cleaner and greener environment.
· Newspapers, magazines and pamphlets
· Glass bottles and jars
· Cans (food and drink) aluminium foil
· Clothes and shoes (please secure in pairs)
· Mobile phones
· Printer Cartridges
. Plastic Bottles
Please assist the collectors by rinsing out your glass bottles, jars and cans.
Doncaster Council does not have the ability to regulate the packaging industry. Central Government and the Environmental Agency are tackling this problem through national and international legislation.
We also have no power to regulate junk mail. However you can register with the Mailing Preference Service to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive:
The Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London W1E 7EZ or call 0207 2913310.
You can put any junk mail you receive in your green box as long as you remove any plastic wrapping first. For your own security, you are advised to shred any confidential material (such as bank or credit card statements).
Plastic bottles can now be collected at the kerbside in all areas. All households have been issued with a large clear sack to collect their plastic bottles and present them for collection with the green box. Recycling banks for plastic bottles have also been introduced onto all 6 Household Waste Recycling Centres. Please remember to squash them first so that they take up less space. If you need to order a replacement bag call (01302) 736000.
Batteries should not be placed in the bin. There is only one battery recovery and recycling plant in the country, this makes it very expensive to recycle such items due to transport costs. Wherever possible try to use rechargeable batteries, this could also save you money. You can however take your household and car batteries to any of the 6 Household Waste Recycling Centre’s across the Borough for recycling. Some retail outlets will also take back power tool batteries.
The Council shares everyone's frustration at not being able to take this type of material, but the problem is that currently there is no market for it. It is light and very bulky and therefore expensive to transport. Also, it usually contains food residue and all these factors make it difficult for recycling organisations to process economically. We are aware that many manufacturers of packaging use the recycling symbol but this only indicates that it is theoretically possible to recycle it, not that there is a factory nearby willing to take it.
Think Rubbish Reduction or Minimisation!
By taking some simple steps you can help yourself and the environment, for example:
· Buy your fruit and vegetables loose rather than pre-packaged
· Buy non-perishable goods in large containers where possible, it reduces packaging rubbish
· Buy concentrated products and refills, like detergent and softener
· Buy rechargeable batteries
· Buy second hand goods
· Repair broken items and damaged clothes rather than buy new ones
· Buy draught beers at the pub (the casks and kegs are refilled and can last for 30 years)
And, on the other side of the coin: Buy Recycled!
Choose goods made with recycled materials. Items such as recycled tissues, plastic sacks, stationery, kitchen rolls and toilet rolls are widely available from supermarkets. This will help encourage markets for materials that can be recycled reducing the need for extraction of raw materials and associated manufacturing processes.
This depends on the success of the scheme. If it is successful we expect there will be some increase in employment in the recycling collection and processing industries.
If residents place residual rubbish in their new green bin it contaminates the waste and makes us unable to compost it. We will therefore not collect the bin until the contamination has been removed. We will attach a sticker to the bin explaining why it has not been emptied. If the contamination has been removed the green bin will be emptied on the next green collection week. If the contamination cannot be removed the bin can be emptied on the black collection week but the black wheeled bin will not be emptied as well.
If residents continue to contaminate their green bin with non-recyclable rubbish, we will follow up the stickers with visits to residents with advice on how to use the service.
We will issue fixed penalty notices only as a last resort if residents continue to contaminate their recyclable rubbish following our repeated advice.
There is no procedure in place for residents who put recyclable rubbish in their black bin. However, by doing so they are filling their black bins more quickly and not recycling all they can, so we hope they will soon adjust to this new system.
Other than the initial cost of the bins (approximately £17 per household) the costs of the scheme have been absorbed with current Council budgets.
Yes, if it is a one off any additional materials must be clearly marked up as extra to be recycled. If this is a regular occurrence please contact your green box provider to request an additional box.
They will not receive a Green Bin, as it is not feasible due to contamination issues. They will continue to receive a weekly Black Bin collection service as it is not as straight forward as individual premises. Resource Recovery are looking into this once the pilot has been rolled out and a decision will be made.
