Silver bin recycling collections return with a reminder from South Kesteven District Council for householders to put the right thing in the right bin.
This follows a successful paper and card collection that saw more than 99% of bins across the District successfully emptied last week.
Silver bins containing paper or card, plastic bags or soft plastics such as crisp bags or ‘scrunchable’ packets may be rejected by bin crews. Waste or recycling left at the side of bins is also no longer being picked up.
Other items that should not be placed in the silver bins include electrical goods and batteries, textiles and clothes, takeaway boxes/cups and nappies.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, Cllr Patsy Ellis, said: "We're calling on everyone to keep this momentum going by following SKDC's guidance on household recycling.
"We understand that some households may struggle with separating their recycling but as a rule of thumb, plastic tubs and bottles, glass, tins and cans should all go into the silver bin.
"Soft plastics are lightweight plastics that often cannot be placed in our recycling bins. They make up around 15% of the plastics that aren’t recyclable at recycling facilities.
“If you’re unsure whether something is made from soft plastic, try scrunching it up in your hand and if it springs back, it’s soft plastic. Think plastic film lids on yoghurt pots, soft fruit punnets and ready meals, as well as plastic crisp packets, pasta bags and chocolate or biscuit wrappers. Other examples are bread bags, cling film and the bags that fresh or frozen produce are supplied in.
"If you’re keen to get these recycled, they are often accepted at supermarkets, which will also take your carrier bags and the wrappers from kitchen and toilet rolls.
"We are looking forward to a busy week, so please be patient with the bin crews, who are committed to maximising recycling rates by ensuring as little contamination of their load as possible.
"Most residents continue to embrace the new scheme and we thank everyone for their co-operation."
Silver bin recycling – and paper and card for the new bin – should be loose, dry, and not in bags.
Anyone needing advice can ask the crews for a leaflet, check the SKDC website at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/waste, call our dedicated recycling team by email at recycling@southkesteven.gov.uk or call us up on 01476 406544.
If any bins are rejected, residents are asked to remove any items incorrectly placed in them, and then re-present the bin on their next collection date. There is also the option of taking the contents to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Soft plastics should either be taken to a recycling point at your local supermarket or put in your black general waste bin, which goes for incineration at the Energy From Waste plant to produce electricity.
Electrical items and batteries can cause a fire if placed in household waste bins, so they should be taken to a recycling centre or battery recycling point at supermarkets.
Textiles and clothes can be donated to a charity shop, or taken to a clothes bank or recycling centre.
Takeaway boxes should be placed in the black general waste bin.
See what goes in which bin here: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/whichbin
For further information check our useful FAQs at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/PCFAQ, email the team at recycling@southkesteven.gov.uk or call 01476 406544.
Plastic bags, including bin liners, are not allowed in either recycling bin. This is because the recycling plant will not accept them. This is not a change to what is permissible in the recycling although the Council acknowledges that a lot of residents have been using bin liners for some time. They have always been classed as contamination within the recycling and each one of these we collected reduced the effectiveness of the recycling.
SKDC will no longer take away recycling left by the side of the bins, whether bagged or not. This is because under the new system, the bins should adequately hold all residents’ recycling.
SKDC continues to work directly with residents who currently use sack collections rather than bins, and with those who use bins in communal areas. These householders should continue to put paper and card in with recycling on the new silver bin collection weeks only. This is because the paper mill is not currently able to accept plastic sacks.
This project follows the successful implementation of this new collection across North Kesteven, Boston Borough, West Lindsey and East Lindsey District Councils.
More details and information can be found online:
What goes in which bin: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/whichbin
Recycling centre details: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycling-waste
Collection dates: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/bincollectionday
How to cut down on the waste you produce: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/recyclinglist
Answers to frequently asked questions: www.southkesteven.gov.uk/PCFAQ
Videos:
Soft plastics: https://youtu.be/3_9gyegSOow
What goes in your purple-lidded bin - and what doesn't: https://youtu.be/rhy9yp0IvQA
Meet the school children demonstrating recycling changes: https://youtu.be/dGo66AQ2tiA