Questions and answers about the new service
How does the new service work?
Every household getting the new service will receive a blue
lidded wheeled bin and a grey lidded wheeled bin. The grey lidded
bin is for household waste which cannot be recycled as part of our
scheme and will be emptied one week. The blue lidded bin is
for recyclable materials and will be emptied the following week,
along with the brown bin for garden and food waste.
Your green crate for waste paper will no longer be
emptied, but you may find it useful to collect glass bottles or
other recyclable materials, for taking to a
local recycling site.
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When will the service begin in my
area?
The wheeled bin recycling service will be introduced to all
parts of Suffolk Coastal by the end of March 2010. Information will
be sent to each household shortly before the service starts in that
area. Back to top.
Why aren't all households being given the
service now?
The Council is very aware of the need to ensure that all
householders receive value for money from their Council Tax, and
have planned to phase in the new service in the most cost effective
way. The service will need new equipment to be fitted to refuse
vehicles, and this will be done as existing vehicles are replaced
at the end of their life. This phased introduction will take around
5 years, with completion planned for 2010. This will permit the
phased purchase of bins, and spread the financial cost of
subsequent replacement as these too reach the end of their life.
This 'one round at a time' policy will allow us to deal properly
with individual concerns that householders may have regarding
access to properties, bin storage, and other practical issues. It
also means that residents who are not yet included within the
changeover should not experience a disruption to their current
service.
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Will you still collect black
sacks?
Black sacks of rubbish placed alongside your bin will not be
collected, although you can use black sacks inside your grey lidded
bin if you wish.
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Can I use black sacks in my bin?
You can use black sacks in your grey lidded bin, but do not
wedge them in too tightly, or they will not come out when the bin
is tipped. Carrier bags are also suitable for wrapping waste if you
do not wish to use black sacks. Please do not place recyclable
materials in bags in the blue lidded bin, as the recycling plant
will reject any material in sacks of any kind.
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Can I use my green crate for my
recyclables?
No, we will no longer collect waste paper from your
green crate. You may use the crate to store materials in your
house, before placing them in the bin, or you may like to use it to
take glass and textiles to a
local recycling site. Only materials in the
wheeled bins will be collected.
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Can I leave sacks by the side of the
bins?
No, side waste will not be collected on either week.
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Why don’t you collect textiles?
Textiles can become entangled in the sorting machinery at the
recycling plant. There are, however,
recycling banks for textiles and shoes around
the district. Alternatively, wearable clothing and shoes could be
taken to a charity shop. Back to top.
Why don’t you collect glass?
If glass is collected with the other recyclable materials, it
contaminates them if broken. The recycling plant will not accept
materials mixed in this way. Please take glass bottles and jars to
a local recycling site. You may find it useful to
collect them in your green crate.
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Why can't I put waxed cartons such as Tetra
Paks in the blue lidded bin?
These are made of a combination of card, plastics, foil, or wax.
The recycling facility where the contents of the blue lidded
bin are sorted cannot process these cartons, as it will
recognise and sort the cartons as cardboard resulting in the rest
of the cardboard being contaminated.
They can however be taken to a number of recycling sites across
the district where there are
separate containers for these cartons.
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Why can't I put things like crisp packets and
cat food pouches in the blue lidded bin?
These items are made of a combination of foil and plastic and as
the components cannot be separated they cannot be recycled and
should go in the grey lidded bin. If in doubt whether or not
something is made of foil only or a mixture of foil and plastic,
scrunch it in your hand. If the object springs back into shape, it
is a mixture and not recyclable; if it stayed screwed up, it is
pure foil and can be recycled in the blue lidded bin.
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Why can't I put shredded paper and card-based
egg boxes in the blue lidded bin?
The material that makes virgin paper and card can only be
recycled up to around seven times, and each time it is recycled,
the fibres shorten, reducing the quality of the recycled product
each time it is recycled. Shredding the paper accelerates this
process by shortening the length of the fibres. Card-based egg
boxed are made of paper that has been recycled so many times the
fibres have shortened to the point that they cannot be recycled any
more; they are essentially made of paper mush. However shredded
paper and card-based egg boxes are perfectly fine for composting so
should be placed in the brown bin.
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Exactly what types of plastics can I put in the
blue lidded bin?
The blue lidded bin is for domestic items of plastic packaging
only, such as juice and detergent bottles, yoghurt pots, ice cream
tubs, and food trays. It cannot take polystyrene, durable or hard
plastics such as toys, buckets, guttering or garden furniture, or
flimsy plastic such as film, wrappers or bags. If the item can be
screwed up in the hand, it should not be placed in the blue lidded
bin. Back to top.
Why are plastic bags, film and wrappers
unacceptable?
Plastic bags, film and wrappers cause serious problems in the
sorting facility. They wrap around the moving parts of the
machinery and cause breakdowns so please do not put these in your
blue lidded bin - if you have plastic bags that you wish to get rid
of, use them to wrap waste before putting it in your grey lidded
bin. It is best to avoid the use of plastic carrier bags by taking
a more durable shopping bag such a bag-for-life or cloth bag with
you to do your shopping.
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Someone put litter into my recycling
bin.
If there is a small amount, please try to remove it. If it is in
a black sack, please lift it out and report it to us. We will then
try to identify something in the bag to ascertain whose rubbish it
is, and take appropriate action.
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Can I still use local recycling
sites?
There will still be
local recycling sites in the district, where you
can take glass bottles and jars and textiles. It is possible that
banks other than glass banks may be reduced in number, in areas
where the wheeled bins have been introduced.
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Can I still buy green sacks?
Green sacks will no longer be collected in areas that have
wheeled bins. Green waste can be placed in the brown bin, or taken
to any of the
household waste recycling centres (new
window) for composting free of charge. Alternatively, a
second brown bin can be acquired at a cost of £30 per year.
Green sacks will still be sold as they will be collected from
areas that do not have wheeled bins. However, waste from the
green sacks is not recycled.
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I’ve put the wrong stuff in my bin - can you
still empty it?
No, bins will not be emptied if they are contaminated. The bin
will need to be emptied out and, if necessary, cleaned before being
used for the correct materials.
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If my bin isn’t emptied every week won't it
smell and attract flies or rats?
Food waste can be placed in either the brown or grey lidded bin.
As these are emptied on alternating weeks, you can still have food
waste collected every week by referring to your calendar and
placing the food waste in the bin that is due to be emptied next.
Other potentially smelly waste should be wrapped well before being
placed in the grey lidded bin. If kept closed, the bins should be
vermin proof.
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What should I do with food
waste?
Any food waste, cooked and uncooked, can be placed in the brown
bin, and it will be collected for composting locally. Double
wrapping the food waste in newspaper will help stop smells and
flies. If you do not want food waste in your brown bin for up to a
fortnight, it can also be placed in the grey lidded bin for
collection during the other week. This way you will continue to
receive a weekly collection of food waste, by placing it in the
brown bin on recycling collection week, and in the grey lidded bin
on the opposite week.
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What happens to the waste that is
collected?
The waste from the grey lidded bin is landfilled. The waste from
the brown bin is composted at a specialist composting site. The
recyclable materials from the blue lidded bin are recycled through
various recycling contractors. Some materials may be sent abroad
for recycling because there is no market for the materials in this
country. Many recyclables such as plastics, are sent abroad in
containers which have brought goods to this country, and which
would return empty if they were not used for recyclable materials.
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I have a number of children in nappies – how
can I manage with the volume of waste and what about the smell from
the nappies in the bin?
Waste that smells should be wrapped well before being placed
into the bin. Have you thought about using
reusable nappies (new window)? These do not go
in your bin, so do not make it smell or fill it up. Additional
bins are available for a small annual service
charge.
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The service is too complicated for me to
understand.
Suffolk Coastal Services are happy to discuss the
service on the telephone with you, or even visit, if it will
help. They will try to explain the service in a way that is easy to
understand, and relevant to you. Please contact the wheeled bin
helpline on 01394 444050.
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Is this being funded from the Council
Tax?
Household waste collection is funded from Council Tax. If we
continue to dispose of increasing amounts of waste to landfill,
Council Tax levels will have to rise. Recycling more waste will
avoid Suffolk Coastal being fined by the Government.
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Where can I get help and advice?
If you still have any questions please call the wheeled bin
helpline number on 01394 444050. If you have any
general waste enquiries email
scsltd@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
or call 01394 444000.
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