Agenda item

To receive an update on the various changes to waste and recycling collections for the area.

Officer: Vicki White, Waste Project Officer

The Chairman noted that on the first day of the Unitary Council, the Tidworth Area Board members had put in a bid for the introduction of a kerb side collection service

Martin Litherland, Head of Waste Collection gave a presentation to the Board on the changes to the waste and recycling collections for the area.

As a result of Wiltshire Council becoming a Unitary Authority in April 2009, there have been four different waste and recycling collection services available to residents, depending on where you lived. This costed different amounts, had differing recycling levels and was not a fair service for residents.

From October the council would be rolling out service changes so that everyone received the same level of service, beginning with fortnightly plastic bottles and cardboard recycling collections using blue-lidded bins.

In late February 2012, the council would roll out fortnightly non-chargeable garden waste collections, using green lidded bins, for the north, east and south of the county. Residents will need to opt in to receive the service, ideally by 30th September, and should complete the opt-in form online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/waste if possible. Alternatively residents can complete the FREEPOST form found in the latest edition of Your Wiltshire magazine, or in the "Coming Soon" leaflet which has been sent out in the post to all residents from week commencing 4th July. If residents already have a garden waste bin, they do not need to re-apply, and their collections will carry on as usual.

Questions and comments were taken from the room, these included:

·       In Amesbury all of the plastic bottles and cardboard go into one bin, can these separated? Answer: Currently Salisbury has a blue bin collection which goes to Thorney Down for separation, so it is possible to separate the materials.

·       Can you leave the lids on the plastic bottles? Answer: Yes you can wash, squash and put the lid back on.

·       The initial booklet which had been circulated needs to be updated as it did not include things like light bulbs. Answer: The internet is the easiest place to find the most up to date information, as it is easier to update it than printed literature.

·       A refuse lorry visits us once a month for residents to recycle cardboard. This stops in September and the blue bin will not be in place until ____, so what has been put in place to bridge the gap? Answer: It has been a difficult balance to achieve, in providing the best service available for the budget we have. If there has been a mismatch of timings this can be looked into.

·       Within the garrison, Hills provide the recycling collection service, where the tins, bottles and paper is mixed together in a box ready for collection, how will this be replaced. Answer: The black box will continue, the contents of this are separated out at the kerbside by the collection team and loaded onto the recycling truck into different compartments.

·       Is a second black box available from the website and can a replacement be ordered if the original box is damaged? Answer: Yes a second box can be ordered or the original replaced by using the online form.

·       Could the refuse collectors be asked to put the bins back as they found them, instead of leaving them in the street or in the middle of the pavements so that people cannot pass? Answer: We have inherited three different work forces along with different terms and conditions; there will be solid instructions for all permanent members of staff to follow certain guidelines.