New rubbish and recycling lorries rolled out across Cornwall
There will be major changes to kerbside collections.
A fleet of new road sweepers, rubbish and recycling lorries are being rolled out as Cornwall Council enters a new contract with Biffa.
The new vehicles are more environmentally friendly than the existing fleet and include the latest vehicle technology. Some of them arrived last month and are already in operation.
All of the vehicles comply with Euro 6 standards – the latest regulations set by the European Union to help reduce the level of harmful pollutants produced by new vehicles.
The new contract, which was signed this week, covers refuse and recycling collections and street, beach and public open space cleaning, as well as collections for bulky, clinical and garden, council office and commercial waste.
It will also see the introduction of a weekly food waste collection and fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections.
The new contract starts on 1 February 2021 however householders won’t see major changes to their kerbside collection services until the following year. This allows time to make changes to the sites where the food waste and recycling is delivered.
“It’s great to see the new fleet being rolled out across Cornwall and we’re delighted to be working with Biffa for another eight years.
“The lorries are part of a much wider plan to deliver a more efficient waste and recycling collection service.
“Most top performing local authorities in the UK already operate a weekly food waste and fortnightly rubbish collection and we are confident this planned change will significantly improve recycling rates in Cornwall.
“The changes to collections won’t happen straight away and a lot of work is being done to ensure everyone is prepared.
“We will be contacting households towards the end of next year to give further details of the service changes including information on the new bins to be provided for food recycling and rubbish collections.
“In the meantime, we are asking that everyone thinks about how much they throw away and to recycle as much as they can using the current services.
“We can all make a start by reducing the amount of food we put in the bin. Currently around one third of the contents of the average black bin bag in Cornwall is made up of food waste.
“By shopping smarter, using leftovers and home composting you can make a huge difference.”
Cllr Rob Nolan, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Public Protection
“We are delighted to continue our working partnership with Cornwall Council. Our aim is to continue to develop and provide new services for everyone in the county and the introduction of the new vehicle fleet, along with the latest technology will support our plans.”
Roger Edwards, Managing Director of Biffa’s Municipal division
What will change?
Cornwall Council will be introducing weekly food waste collections and fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections from 2022.
Most homes across Cornwall will be provided with:
- 7 litre food caddies for use in the kitchen,
- 23 litre food storage caddies for storing food waste outside, and
- 180 litre wheeled bins, or alternative reusable protective sack for rubbish, dependant on storage and access requirements.
To see what can be recycled in Cornwall or to order recycling collection bags visit the Cornwall Council website.
Find out how you can reduce the amount of food you throw away visiting the 'Love Food Hate Waste' website here.