Welcome to the second South Somerset Recycle More Messenger. The great leap forward for recycling arrives in the district at the end of next month. It’s an important change that means doing things a little differently and we’re here to make it work for everyone.
Look out for your ‘Get ready for Recycle More’ leaflet which will land on South Somerset doormats from 17 May.
It gives an introduction to Recycle More, its timescales and how people can prepare. A second ‘Recycle More is coming soon’ leaflet will be arriving early June.
This will include a ‘what goes where?’ guide to recycling with the new service. Importantly it will also include an individual collection day calendar of recycling and rubbish collections for the coming year.
It’s all about the bag
Every household will have a new recycling container, the Bright Blue Bag, which:
Has a 60litre capacity- Is tough and waterproof
- Folds flat when not in use
- Base-weighted to stop it blowing away
- Has a Velcro-fastened lid to stops the contents blowing away
Similar bags were used in trials in Somerset and are working well in Mendip.
Recycled and recyclable?
The rubber base of the bag is made from recycled material and the bags will be 100% recyclable.
We are finalising plans to recycle the base in Somerset and already have a local reprocessor to recycle the rest of the bag.
When will the bag arrive?
They will be delivered by teams following recycling crews in the two weeks leading up to the launch.
So, from Monday 14 June. Exactly when will depend on where you live as the crews make their way around the district.
Each bag with have a tag reminding people what needs to go in them, and a note to check their collection day calendar to see when they should start using it.
What goes in the bag?
Plastic bottles – clear, coloured or opaque. Water bottles, milk bottles, toiletries, household cleaners including bleach. Leave lids on but remove pumps/ spray nozzles and trigger tops, like those on cleaning sprays and liquid soap. No bottles that have contained hazardous liquids or engine oil.
Plastic pots, tubs and trays – all colours from food like yoghurt pots, meat and vegetable trays, margarine tubs. Also, non-food like face creams or hair gel. Rinsed and squashed/nested if possible. Tins and cans – rinsed and crushed. Aerosols – empty. Leave nozzles on. Foil – rinsed and scrunched.
Keep recycling sites in your sights
Until Recycle More starts, please make full use of recycling sites. Yeovil, Chard, Crewkerne already accept all the new Recycle More materials.
Please take them there rather than putting them in the rubbish or storing them for your first new collection. We don’t want the new service inundated.
Facebook Q&As
Thanks to those who came to our first Q&A last week. Here are some sample questions:
Q: When do the bags arrive and can I have more than one of them?
A: They are delivered just before Recycle More starts. If you regularly need more than one, extras can be ordered.
Q: Will food waste still be collected weekly?
A: Yes, absolutely.
Q: What’s the best thing to use on the
blue bag to write my house number on
A: A Sharpie pen, or similar, works well.
There will be three more out of hours Q&As on the @somersetwaste Facebook page. Please join in and promote them in your communities and with colleagues, family and friends.
- Tuesday, 25 May 7pm to 8pm
- Wednesday, 16 June 7am to 8am
- Monday, 5 July 7pm to 8pm
You can also join us at the South Somerset Talking Café Live next week on Thursday, 20 May, at 1pm run by the Community Council for Somerset. Join live or watch the recorded session later.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/ talkingcafesomerset/live
Get ready, order your boxes
Recycle More will work best if everyone makes full use of their weekly recycling collections. Please make sure you have all the containers you need.
Are you recycling food waste? If not, now is the time to start.
Everyone can have green and black recycling boxes and food waste bins. You can order new or replacement boxes or bins FREE using the My Waste Servicesmenu at www.somersetwaste.gov.uk