Waste and Recycling

Cheltenham residents will soon see changes to the way in which their waste and recycling is collected. These improvements are being made to encourage householders to recycle more and protect the environment.

It is estimated that a reduction of 167 tonnes of carbon is possible as well as a saving of around £800,000 each year. The changes are being made in stages, starting on 1 September 2010.

From this date, householders are being asked to leave their bins with the lid firmly closed and collections of any additional side waste will be phased out.

Once introduced, the new service arrangements will allow the council to deal with our waste in a more environmentally friendly and efficient way. The council are starting off by asking residents to make sure their bins are fully closed as open lids can snag on the bin lifting machinery, damaging bins and creating a significant safety risk to the collectors.

This, along with phasing out side waste, is just two of a range of changes which will be brought in over a period of time to coincide with other recycling initiatives. Residents will be given information about the bigger changes as and when they are introduced.

The Borough Council will be putting stickers on bins which don't have closed lids, reminding people that from now on bins need to be closed. This won't just stop collections but will work with residents over time, as this is about changing the way we do things.

From February 2011, the kerbside garden waste service will be replaced with a wheeled bin service. The new opt-in service will be available to all Cheltenham residents for just £3 per month; this is payable annually in advance.

Residents will be given a 240 litre brown wheeled bin for their garden waste which will be collected fortnightly. Collections of the current garden waste bags will stop, and unwanted bags can be returned to be re-used or for recycling.

A weekly food waste collection service will be introduced from April 2011, and refuse and recycling will be collected on an alternate weekly basis.

Where space is an issue for residents, for example, those living in flats, they will continue to receive weekly collections; and some areas in the town centre area will receive twice weekly collections for all materials.

It’s hoped that by 2012, the council will be able to offer a kerbside recycling collection service to all households. This will be for five materials - glass, paper, cans/tins, plastic bottles and light kitchen card.

For more information about these improvements, please contact the council’s waste and recycling team on 01242 264244, email cleansing@cheltenham.gov.uk or visit file://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/waste