main content Recycling easier than ever

Residents no longer need to separate out their tins, cans, plastic bottles and glass for recycling following a decision reached at the recent Environment and Leisure Portfolio meeting. As part of the Recycling for All campaign, householders were previously required to separate the different materials in the green recycling box using the ‘divider’. Whilst paper and cardboard must still be collected separately in the black box, the change will make it easier than ever before for householders to recycle as much as possible.

Announcing the changes, Councillor Colin Smith, Executive Councillor for Environment and Leisure said:

“It’s now easier than ever to recycle for everybody and hopefully this will enable us to push Bromley’s proud record of being the best dry recyclers in London to even higher levels. We’ve been acutely aware of residents complaints that some pre-sorted recycling was being wrongly re-mixed by some of the collection crews and promised to sort the problem out. After tough negotiations, we’ve been able to strike a deal with our Contractor which shares the efficiency savings achieved by collecting waste in this way between them and the Council Tax Payer so it’s a real win-win situation.”

Councillor Smith added, “In addition, residents living in flats will have an expanded recycling service. We will be contacting residents living in flats to let them know precisely how and when this change will affect them.”

The materials will be sent to a state of the art recycling facility, where the various items will be mechanically separated before being sent on to make new products.

Paper will still be collected separately, as this ensures it meets the paper industry’s high standards. This will also ensure the income received can continue to help meet the cost of the Council’s recycling activities.

Resident feedback indicated that by making it easier to recycle, it would encourage some householders to recycle more than they currently do. Recycling levels are currently at 33%.

Householders can use their green boxes to recycle:

• Plastic drink and detergent bottles, which need to be washed and squashed
• Drinks, tin food and aerosol cans
• Glass bottles and jars

The black recycling boxes can be used for paper including:

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Cardboard (flattened)

This does not include hardback books, drinks and milk cartons or large cardboard boxes.

ENDS

Editors notes: At the same meeting, the Portfolio holder agreed that the waste collection contract with Veolia be extended from 2008 to 2016. Veolia already are the Council’s waste disposal contractor until 2016. Subject to legal agreements, both contracts will now run until February 2016.

For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers on 020 8461 7670, or email andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk

Further information about waste and recycling is available at www.bromley.gov.uk/wastenews