New brown bin on its way

HOUSEHOLDS across the High Peak are to get a new brown wheelie bin over a six-week period starting on Monday (May 21).

The 240-litre bin will be accompanied by a leaflet and calendar explaining a new, improved kerbside collection service that goes live from Monday, July 2 to allow the recycling of plastics for the first time.

The Borough Council’s contractor will deliver the new bin alongside an information leaflet to properties in the Buxton area during the first fortnight before turning its attention to the central area over the middle two weeks and then Glossopdale in the last fortnight.

Bins will be delivered to rural properties over the entire six weeks but there will be no deliveries on bank holidays.

The brown bin will be used for:

• Plastic bottles, tubs and trays
• Food tins and drink cans
• Empty aerosols
• Foil, cardboard, newspapers and magazines
• Office paper, greetings cards and wrapping paper
• Yellow Pages and telephone directories.

The red bag will continue to be used for unwanted clothes and shoes but the green box will be for glass bottles and jars only.

The green-lidded bin will still be used for garden waste and food scraps while the black bin will still be for general rubbish.

Around 5,500 properties will also be contacted in writing in June to advise of changes to their collection dates from Monday, June 25. This change will ensure these households do not wait four weeks for a black bin collection due to the new system.

In total, around 25,000 properties may notice a day or week change as a result of the service change. Leaflets detailing new collection dates and what can and cannot be put in the new bin will be delivered alongside the brown bins. Extra general waste will be collected on the first date under the new system, as long as it is put securely by the side of the bin in plastic bags.

Anthony McKeown, executive councillor for community services, said: “The addition of plastics to the kerbside scheme means that we now have a truly comprehensive recycling service.

“The new, improved service is great news for keen recyclers who will no longer have to put up with the inconvenience and fuel costs of taking plastics to the neighbourhood recycling centres. The change will also see the end of the blue bags, with just the red bag for clothing being retained as part of the new service.

“And there will no longer be any need for people to put plastic bottles, tubs and trays in their black bin, along with general rubbish destined for incineration or landfill. Keeping waste out of landfill not only protects the environment, it also reduces our disposal costs and helps us keep council tax down.

“The facility to recycle plastics at the kerbside is something that residents have wanted for a long time. That’s why I know that households will take to the new service with their customary enthusiasm, building on achievements that saw our recycling rate double to 42 per cent in the three years to 2010/11”, he foresaw.

The council has lined up a series of events to promote the new service over the coming weeks:

• Hayfield May Queen Festival (Sett Valley car park) – Saturday, May 19, 9.30am onwards
• Tesco , Whaley Bridge – Friday, June 1
• Co-op , New Mills – Friday, June 8
• Castleton car park – Wednesday,  June 13, 10am - 2pm
• Chapel-en-le-Frith Carnival – Saturday, June 16
• Edale Country Day – Sunday, June 17
• New Mills Carnival – Saturday, June 23
• Buxton Olympic Torch event – Friday, June 29 (TBC)
• Whaley Bridge Rose Queen Carnival – Saturday, June 30
• Glossop Carnival – Sunday, July 1.

Locations and times of events are still to be confirmed while further events are also being planned. A full list will be published on the council’s website.

Our picture shows Cllr McKeown with one of the brown bins.