Charnwood Borough Council - Leading in Leicestershire

EVEN more products can now be recycled after Charnwood Borough Council listened to the views of residents on how the services could be improved.

A survey of 3,000 people in the Borough revealed that almost half wanted to be able to put a wider range of materials into the red and green recycling sacks.

Charnwood is making excellent progress in its recycling rates – as the Council recycled 39% of waste collected in 2007-08, up 3.2% on the previous year

However, the Authority’s goal is to recycle 42% of all waste and these new changes will help it reach that target.

Red Sacks

With immediate effect, empty food and drink cartons – commonly known as TetraPaks – can now be put in the red sacks.

This is in addition to shredded paper, Yellow Pages, catalogues, books envelopes, magazines, newspapers, wrapping paper, cardboard toilet and kitchen rolls, clean pizza boxes plus large and small folded cardboard boxes that have always been collected.

Green Sacks

Plastic products that can now be recycled in the green sacks include food trays, fruit punnets, carrier bags, bin liners, packaging film, margarine and ice-cream tubs, small plant pots, seed trays, yoghurt pots, foam fast food boxed, egg cartons and plastic cutlery.

Detergent, shampoo, shower gel plus plastic drink bottles can still be put in the green sacks.

Aerosol cans, clean foil and foil trays are among the other items that can now be placed in the green sacks along with drink cans, cooking oil drums, big cooking oil tins, food tins, metal biscuits or chocolate tins.

Cllr Mike Preston, Charnwood Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “It was clear that people wanted to be able to recycle more items and we have taken their views on board.

“We’re delighted to be able to improve the recycling service. Our aim is to increase the amount of waste that can be recycled and collecting even more everyday household items can only help us achieve that goal.”

Council staff will be in Loughborough’s Market Place on Thursday, August 14th to give out leaflets about the changes to the recycling services and answer any questions from residents.

All items placed in the red and green sacks should be washed and squashed and any sharp objects, such as broken glass, must not be included.

To find out more about the recycling service, call (01509) 634 563, logging on to www.charnwood.gov.ukpages/recyclingcollectionservice or by emailing cleaner.greener@charnwood.gov.uk.