Cheshire West residents to find out if their bin collection day will be changing

Their new waste and recycling collection calendar will be delivered to their home at some point over the next two weeks as part of a plan to transform the service in the borough.

Delivery of the new collection calendars to every household in the borough began on Monday, September 20. The four-page calendars will be delivered directly to people’s homes. It is anticipated the delivery will be completed by the end of the following week.

The calendars provide information on collection days, which bin to put out and when. They also provide information on the arrangements for waste and recycling collections over the Christmas period and information on what people can do to recycle more.

The council and its waste collection partner Cheshire West Recycling (CWR) have completed a review of the collection rounds in the borough and they say they have created a new, more efficient and environmentally-friendly collection system, with no jobs being lost as a result.

About 60 per cent of all households in the borough will receive a new collection day or weekly rota.

The changes are a response to the increased number of properties in the borough. Between 2012 and 2020, the number of households in the borough increased by 13,000. This has resulted in a nine per cent rise in the demand for the waste and recycling service.

Changes to the collection rounds start on Monday, October 11.

The new system means that CWR can remove three domestic collection rounds from its existing schedule. This will reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to the borough’s Climate Emergency agenda.

Residents have been informed about the changes through special tags placed on their bins or by letter.

Residents are urged to study their new collection calendar when it arrives to ensure they know the right day to put their bins out.

The changes support Cheshire West and Chester Council’s new Waste Management Strategy for the next 10 years, which looks at supporting residents to reduce the amount of waste they produce and to recycle more.

The new service, which includes bigger recycling bins, will be introduced early next year.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Cllr Karen Shore, said: "We are introducing this system to provide a modern and efficient waste and recycling collection service that responds to people’s needs and supports the borough's objectives around Climate Change.

"We are on a positive journey and due to the great work of our residents, Cheshire West and Chester is already amongst the best in terms of recycling.

"There are several changes taking place over the next few months and we are working hard to make the transition as smooth as possible and build on our waste and recycling track record even further.”

"If anyone is unsure about the changes, there is plenty of information on the council's website."

Among the changes being rolled out next year is a new £40-a-year garden waste collection service.

The £40 charge works out as £2 per collection, as there will be 20 collections throughout the year.

Responding to why the charge is needed, CWaC says: "This is the fairest way to fund the service. Due to increasing financial pressures, the council must make some tough decisions to sustain the overall waste management service. One of these decisions is to charge for collecting garden waste.

"Most councils already charge to cover the costs of providing this service. A charge for the new opt-in chargeable service would give people the choice whether or not to use it. At the moment, the costs fall on all residents, whether they have a garden or not."

Neighbouring Flintshire Council introduced a £30-a-year garden waste collection service in 2018, increasing the sum to up to £35 in 2020. Wrexham Council charges residents £25 a year, while Warrington Borough Council charges £36 a year when subscribing online, increasing that to £40 if ordered over the phone. Halton Borough Council charges £35 a year.

Only Cheshire East Council is currently retaining a free garden waste collection service, although it charges £53.50 a year if residents wish to have a second garden waste bin.

CWaC will charge residents £40 extra a year for an additional garden waste bin, as it does presently.

• On a related note, Cheshire West and Chester Council is supporting Recycle Week this week.

The theme for Recycle Now’s 18th annual Recycle Week is Step It Up.

Cllr Karen Shore said: “Recycle Week this year is an opportunity to take things up a level. Look out for messages on how you can play your part on our social media channels.

“Residents have really boosted recycling in the borough during the pandemic and I would like to express my sincere thanks for that but now we can all Step It Up a level to really make a difference.”

Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Climate Emergency, Councillor Matt Bryan added: “By recycling more of the right things, more often in our home and everyday lives we can help tackle the climate emergency. Currently the UK’s recycling saves 18 million tonnes of CO2 per year from being emitted. We’re ready to take this fight to the next level and Step It Up this Recycle Week.”

Top tips for recycling:

• Flatten cardboard boxes so that you can fit more in your green box.
• All plastic bottles can be recycled, from water bottles to shampoo bottles, so put all of them in your recycling container.
• It is not just newspapers that you can recycle at home. Also, recycle, envelopes, birthday cards and phone books.
• All sorts of cardboard can be recycled, even toilet and paper towel tubes.
• Recycle metal, such as empty spray cans and tin foil, and of course, all empty soda, fruit, vegetable and other food cans.
• Keep a space in your kitchen so that you can recycle as you are cooking or cleaning. It will make it easier for you to put the recyclables in their proper place.
• When going out, stop at your local recycling centre and drop off anything that cannot be recycled at the kerbside.
• If you are ever unsure about what you can recycle, check the Cheshire West and Chester Council website.
• Glass can be recycled endlessly; so be sure to always recycle your glass bottles and containers.

For more information on Recycle Now, visit www.recyclenow.com.