North Kesteven households deliver near-perfect recycling rate for latest paper and card collection

In the week from November 22, only half a per cent of bins presented did not contain the right things and were rejected, meaning 340 tonnes of perfect quality paper and cardboard went for recycling.

These figures round off a much better month for the district with 91.5 per cent of green-lidded bins being emptied in November’s collections. Over 380 tonnes of high quality clean glass, plastics, tins, tubs and bottles were in these green-lidded bins.

The previous collection in October of purple and purple-lidded bins saw more than 320 tonnes of paper and cardboard collected from the 99 per cent of purple and purple-lidded bins presented.

Recycling bins with wrong things in cannot be emptied. The council says its waste team is continuing to offer officer visits to those who have had a bin rejected and would find it helpful to talk through their recycling, including those who may be more vulnerable and could benefit from other support available.

Council Leader Coun Richard Wright said: “We are seeing fantastic figures like these only because residents in North Kesteven are absolutely doing their best to help the environment by putting the right thing in the right bin. I can’t

thank everyone enough for all their efforts.

“It takes far less energy and water to recycle paper and cardboard than to cut down trees and make it brand new from wood, so only putting the right things in your purple or purple-lidded bin really does help.

“We’ve also seen an amazing change in the quality of green-lidded recycling thanks to our residents, who are ensuring more can be recycled than before by putting only the right things in these bins. We each really can make a difference

by doing this.

“The biggest challenge when talking about green-lidded bins understandably continues to be soft plastics – that’s carrier bags, food wrappers, crisp packets, bin bags, bread bags and so on. These can’t be recycled from your kerbside at

home but should instead go to soft plastic collection points in shops and supermarkets or if not, in the black bin only to be made into electricity. Cardboard takeaway packaging also cannot be recycled and must go in the black bin only.”

Waste from the black bin goes on to be burned and made into electricity, if they cannot be reused, donated or taken to collection points. Very little waste in Lincolnshire goes to landfill.

The council is also reminding residents ahead of the Christmas period that no side waste can be taken next to bins. Additional waste can instead be taken to Household Waste Recycling Centres – there is no need to book a slot before you

go. More information can be found at lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycling-waste/find-recycling-centre

There is information at n-kesteven.gov.uk/recycling including the council’s Right Thing Right Bin leaflet and a webpage on green-lidded bin queries, and more information will be shared on social media @northkestevendc to help

households make sure their waste and recycling over Christmas goes in the right bins at home.

You can also sign-up for regular updates at n-kesteven.gov.uk/stayconnected

Here are the top five things to keep out of green-lidded bins:

Soft plastics

These are carrier bags, food wrappers, bread bags, film lids, crisp packets - essentially any plastic that can scrunch in your hand.

These cannot be recycled at kerbside in Lincolnshire as the facilities do not exist to do this. Please instead take to soft plastic collection points in your local shops, which do have the facilities to bulk these up and deal with them through their own processes, or search for any local TerraCycle schemes for things like pet food pouches.

If that’s not possible, place them in your black bin only to be made into electricity.

Takeaway packaging

Unless clear or light plastic tubs and trays or foil trays, which can go rinsed and clean into your green-lidded bin, all takeaway packaging including cardboard must go in the black bin only to be made into electricity.

Hard plastics

Plant pots, plastic toys, plastic homeware boxes and crates – things like these should be reused or donated where possible.

If not they can be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre or put in the black bin (with any batteries removed).

Textiles

Clothes, pet beds, duvet covers – if good enough quality these all can be donated, reused or taken to textile recycling points at Household Waste Recycling Centres, or if not possible can go in the black bin.

Paper and cardboard

Newspapers, household cardboard boxes such as cereal packets, letters, magazines and so on – these should all go in the purple or purple-lidded bin only, or alternatively in the black bin if damp or dirty.

Books can be donated, reused or passed on to others if in good condition. If they cannot be reused or re-purposed then they must go in the black bin only.