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Cabinet release - Waste Collection and Household Recycling Centres

Published: 18/07/2017

Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve changes to the household waste collection and household recycling centre (HRC) operations policy when it meets later this month. The report provides an update to Cabinet on the changes to its kerbside waste and recycling collections, due to be implemented in September. It also provides an update on the redevelopment programme of the Council’s HRCs. The Council continues to perform well in meeting Welsh Government’s recycling targets with its latest performance of 68% in 2016/17. However to achieve the next target of 70% recycling by 2025, the following changes are proposed in the management and operation of the County’s HRC sites: Following the completion of the HRC redevelopment programme, extending the permit scheme so that all permitted vans can use all the sites, but there will be stricter rules on the size as well as only permitting single axle trailers. There will be new opening times to reflect when they are most used which will be 9 am to 5 pm in Winter and 10 am to 6 pm in summer There is to be a review of how the sites will be managed in the future looking at using a business partner to help increase recycling rates with possibly linking to a social enterprise or charitable organisation. The sites will be re-branded as Recycling Centres rather than `Skip Sites’. Flintshire County Council Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside, Councillor Carolyn Thomas, said: “We were pleased to receive grant funding from the Welsh Government to assist in the provision of modern, easier to use facilities but this was on the premise that we increased our recycling rates at all the sites. Operatives will be on hand to help residents go through items brought so they are disposed in the right containers.” The report also details new waste collection rounds based on the predicted housing growth over the next 5 years. This will mean, for a small proportion of residents ( approximately 500), a change to their collection day will be necessary. Councillor Thomas continued: “We are also introducing new recycling vehicles which will allow us to collect a wider range of plastics and batteries at the kerbside, making it easier for residents to recycle more. Because there will be more opportunity to recycle, we anticipate that the non-recyclable waste placed in black bins will reduce and, we will continue to take a robust line with residents who continue to present extra bagged waste with their wheeled bin and take enforcement action where necessary’’. “I’ve been meeting the workforce as the new Cabinet Member and appreciate how hard they work, walking up to 12 miles often in difficult weather conditions. They’ve been asked to put the containers back where they are found and not leave littering but we have to do some partnership working and if the waste is put out too early or not secured it can blow around and black plastic bags can be ripped open by vermin. On hot days, the food waste bins can be foul if not washed out. “Look out for the leaflets through your door detailing what can now be recycled and the new calendars which will include collection dates for over the Christmas period so please make sure you keep these somewhere safe. Staff from the Streetscene service will visit properties affected by day changes to their waste collections to explain the process and dates for the change.”