Recycling – Waste – It costs the Earth.
(13 August 2007)

Presented by Maria Jebb, Blackpool Council
(maria.jebb@blackpool.gov.uk)

Maria asked for questions from the group and clarified recycling issues:

Only bottle shaped plastics can be recycled and should be put in blue bin. Trays, yoghurt pots etc must go in grey bin as there are no facilities for recycling these types of plastics.

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled but not glass panes due to the different types of glass.

Contents of green and blue bins go to different sites for processing.

Contents of grey bin goes to landfill at Clifton Marsh but this is getting full which is why more needs to be recycled.

All properties that have a place to store bins should be getting them, other properties have been issued with boxes.

Members raised the issues that contaminated bins are not collected and not returned to houses so remain on street for several weeks.

Maria and colleagues’ role is to visit houses to look at contaminated waste and educate householders about how to use the bins, recycling etc

Maria offered to visit the areas members identified where contaminated bins had not been collected.

Bins must be on pavement for collection and bin collectors are not allowed to enter gardens to collect or return contaminated bins therefore they remain on the pavements. Bins can be removed from the pavement by council if householders don’t remove them and they will need to buy them back.

Bins remain the property of the council but are the responsibility of the householder.

Issue of collections from houses of multiple occupancy – not all residents use bins properly, some don’t remove from street if not collected. Council officers are trying to educate people but difficult when there is high turn over of occupants. Eventually look at fining people but difficult to know whether to fine landlord or resident.

Bin collectors should take all paper in carrier bags not just the blue bags. Shredded paper can be put in blue bags.

Fortnightly collections will stay as there are no facilities for weekly collections.

Businesses need to be educated about what facilities they can use, especially hoteliers. Several companies provide recycling services but these must be paid for separately. Relies on businesses opting into this. Business rates do not cover refuse collection

Maria to follow up on:

In Thornton they collect all plastics, in Blackpool they don’t. Why? Do both authorities use the same facilities?

What is the council doing to work with business and supermarkets to reduce packaging?