South Bucks District Council has announced that it will roll out a new and ‘improved’ waste and recycling service from February 2014, to help residents recycle ‘more items, more easily’.

As part of the new service, all households in the district will be able to recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays, beverage cartons (such as Tetra Paks), aluminium foil, batteries and textiles, in addition to all currently recycled items. Small electrical items, such as kettles, irons and toasters will also be collected.

Further to this, the council will implement a weekly food waste collection and an optional chargeable garden waste collection service (costing £35 a year if residents sign up before 31 January 2014, or £45 thereafter). It is hoped that profits from collecting garden waste will offset the initial set-up costs of the new service, for instance the buying of new vehicles.

The council hopes the service will help boost recycling rates from 34 per cent (in 2012) to 60 per cent by 2025.

Service details

Under the new service, collections will operate on a two-week system. In week one general refuse, food waste and textiles will be collected. In week two, recycling, paper recycling, food waste and any batteries or small electrical items will be collected.

Most properties will receive a black-lidded wheelie bin for general refuse, a blue-lidded bin for mixed recycling, and a small food waste bin and kitchen caddy for food waste.

Alongside all previously collected items, plastic containers (such as yoghurt pots and fruit punnets), beverage cartons (such as Tetra Pak) and aluminium foil will be collected in the mixed recycling bin. Paper will continue to be collected from existing black recycling boxes.

In addition, household batteries, small electrical items, and textiles will be able to be collected if placed in a plastic bag next to the bins.

Service changes are a response to resident demand

Residents will be sent a letter detailing when the new service starts, what can be put in the new containers, and the dates of drop-in roadshows in October and November. This letter will be followed by a full information pack in October containing FAQs and the current collection timetable, and an updated collection timetable once the service has begun.

Speaking of the new service, South Bucks Portfolio Holder for Environment, Councillor Nick Naylor, said: “Residents told us that they wanted to be able to recycle more materials and we are extremely pleased that we are able to introduce this new service.

“If residents have any questions about the changes or they would like to see what the new bins look like they are welcome to come along to any of the 20 roadshows taking place. We would also encourage residents to sign up to our email alerts and follow us on Twitter so that they receive regular updates.”

Waste destinations

Once collected, the district’s refuse and recycling will end up at a number of destinations:

• refuse will be sent to Wapseys Wood landfill site in Beaconswood;
• recycling will be taken to a sorting facility, where items will be separated into individual materials to be sent to different reprocessors for recycling;
• paper will go directly to a paper mill near North Wales;
• food waste will be sent to an anaerobic digestion facility in South Oxfordshire produce electricity and fertiliser;
• garden waste will be composted to produce an agricultural soil conditioner;
• batteries will be sent to a specialist facility, which will separate out different metals to be recycled into new products;
• small electrical items will be sent to a specialist facility to separated into ‘various’ components to be recycled; and
• textiles will be used by the Salvation Army.

According to the council, although more vehicles will be required to collect and distribute the newly added items, ‘the environmental impact will be far outweighed by the positive effects of the increase in recycling which is anticipated due to the change of service’. Further, South Bucks claims it will be one of the ‘first’ authorities in England to use ‘Euro 6’ vehicles, which have the ’latest’ engine types designed to reduce emissions, and food waste collection vehicles that have ‘lightweight plastic bodies’, which are also reported to reduce emissions.

To find out what can be recycled in the new service visit the South Bucks District Council website.