Wiltshire Council to start checking blue-lidded bins for non-recyclables
It's being brought in after an explosion at a waste facility
Wiltshire Council's launched a new waste campaign, after an explosion at a waste facility in the county.
It aims to increase recycling and reduce contamination, following an incident where partially full aerosol can which had been put in a recycling bin.
The campaign will give people more awareness about what can and can’t be recycled and how to correctly dispose of potentially hazardous items.
Following an increase in things that can't be recycled being put in blue bins, the council’s campaign, called ‘Recycling – let’s sort it!’.
Some of the most common items the council have found incorrectly placed in blue lidded bins are: carrier bags, bin bags, hard plastics, scrap metals and nappies.
What does it all mean for us?
From today (Monday 13th February) there will be a gradual change in the way that waste crews for council will check bins upon kerbside collection.
This will start with crews advising residents that bins with incorrect items in them cannot be emptied.
From the 20th of February crews will then attach amber hangers indicating any contamination, but they will still be collected.
After the 6th of March, collectors will then begin rejecting more heavily contaminated bins and attach a red hanger to indicate that bins have not been emptied.
The council says that items like plastic bags can “get wrapped around conveyor belts at the sorting facility, which can damage the equipment.”
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Waste, said:
“It’s really important that people put the right things into their blue-lidded recycling bins, or it may not be recycled. We know that people are keen to do their bit, but some of what is put in blue-lidded bins cannot be recycled and these items are then contaminating items that could have been recycled.”
“We hope this campaign will help to inform and educate people so their good efforts and intentions do not go to waste. With everyone’s support to help improve recycling, we can sort it.”