County unveils new plans for waste disposal

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents about new proposals to increase recycling and reduce waste in the county and says it wants to work with communities to rise to the challenge.

The county has historically one of the best recycling rates in Wales and residents have played a significant part in that success.

Despite all the efforts, more than 5,000 tonnes of recycling are still being thrown away through general waste collections costing £500,000 which could be spent on protecting vital council services.

This is a significant challenge and the council needs to recycle more and reduce unnecessary disposal costs.

It says this can only be done by changing the way in which its waste collection works and by changing the way residents recycle.

The proposed changes to the recycling service will provide residents with:

• a new weekly collection for recyclables such as paper, glass, cans, and plastic
• a weekly collection for food waste
• a new fortnightly collection for clothes and small electrical items

With 64% of waste already being recycled and a weekly recycling collection with extra capacity there should only be small amounts of non-recyclable waste left in the black bin. 

The council is therefore proposing to change the collection of non-recyclable waste to every four weeks.  Instead of the current 140 litre black bins, the council would provide new, larger 240 litre black bins instead.

Overall, households will have an additional 35 litres of capacity each week to manage their waste and the focus will be more on recycling to help prevent recyclable material being put unnecessarily in the black bin. 

The council believes that increasing the size of the bins to the new larger ones and introducing weekly and recycling collections, supported by other special collections, should meet the needs of residents.  

It says the majority of households in Denbighshire can be switched to the proposed system. The households at which the proposed system may be unsuitable are being identified. Where necessary alternative collection models, designed to achieve the highest levels of recycling practicable, will be introduced.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said: “Denbighshire residents have always been very good at recycling, and we achieved the Welsh Government target to recycle 64% of household waste two years early. Thank you for making a real difference.

“However, we need to reach the next target of 70% by 2025, and there is discussion taking place about higher targets of possibly 80% in future. We therefore need to take steps to recycle more and waste less.   To make sure we develop the right model for Denbighshire, we want to understand more about people’s recycling needs, hear about any potential impacts these proposed changes may have on households and to work with communities to manage the proposed changes.

“We are confident that Denbighshire households will be able to rise to the challenge, but there will be some circumstances where this might be more difficult. Therefore, we are already looking at nappy/ incontinence wear waste collections; additional bins for larger households and continuing with offering assisted collections for those that need them.

“Over the coming weeks, staff from the council will be out and about in communities, where people will have an opportunity to hear what is being proposed and to speak with officers directly.  This will be supported by a range of education initiatives to support residents in their recycling efforts. We will also engage with local Schools and businesses to reinforce our ambitions to meet the new recycling challenges. Details will appear on the council’s social media sites, on its website and in the media."

The council is also encouraging residents to complete an online survey at www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recyclemore so that it can understand people’s recycling patterns and what steps need to be taken to prepare people for the proposed changes. Copies of the survey can also be found in libraries and main receptions across the county.

Frequently asked questions and details of opening hours of the recycling parks, together with a full list of what items can be recycled can also be found on the website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recyclemore

The council expects that any proposed change would take place in 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Potential Concern	Response
Will I be able to cope?	With weekly collections for recycling and food, new collections for other materials and a larger bin for your waste, there should be enough capacity for your waste. Remember that you can have extra recycling containers if you need them.  There will be special arrangements for larger families and the new nappy collections will also free up space in your bin.
What if my bin gets too heavy?	Please don’t struggle with containers- assisted collections will continue to be available for those that need some help. With many of the heavier types of waste such as food and recyclables being collected every week, you may find that your refuse bin is not too heavy. Non recyclable items are often quite light such as vacuum cleaner dust or plastics that can’t yet be recycled.
Could this lead to fly tipping?	The experience of other councils has been that fears about fly tipping just did not materialise with some areas seeing an improvement in the cleanliness of the streets.  By using the more frequent recycling collections, there is room in the bin for your waste.  There is never any excuse for fly tipping, and we have no reason to believe that Denbighshire residents will start doing so.
Are there problems associated with leaving waste for 4 weeks?	Concerns are sometimes expressed about possible smells, flies or pests. Using the weekly collection for food waste is the best way to prevent all these potential problems, especially as the food waste containers have lockable lids.  The new collections for nappy/ incontinence wear waste will also help and as long as other types of waste are securely wrapped before being put in the bin, there should be no problem.
What if the bin is too big or too small?	The Council will be considering requests from residents on a case by case basis.

List of items that CAN be recycled:

·         Empty tetrapaks

·         Paper and newspapers

·         Clean foil

·         Clean/empty plastic bottles

·         Clean/empty glass bottles and jars

·         Clean plastic food trays

·         Empty toiletry bottles

·         Boxes

·         Toilet roll

·         Empty food boxes

·         Birthday cards

·         Clean and empty yoghurt pots

·         Clean and empty tins and cans

·         Aerosol

Items that CANNOT be recycled:

Needles or sharps

Nappies

Plastic bags

Hard plastics

Pet waste

Polystyrene foam or polystyrene packaging

Plastic wrap or polystyrene wrap

Car batteries

Food waste or any liquid

Clothes

Wires/ hosepipes

Wood

Separate food and garden waste collection services are in place.