Over 7,500 homes to take part in recycling trial this autumn for areas of North Kesteven, Boston and South Holland

The year-long trial, run by the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership of the county’s local authorities, aims to boost the quality and amount of paper recycled.

At this stage, the councils could not say what the trial will cost other than that the funding will come from the county council’s budget.

Eddy Poll, chairman of the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, said: “This scheme gives us the opportunity to do something differently so we can improve the quality of our recycling so it can be properly recycled, as our residents expect.

“By having a separate bin or bag we will be able to collect dry paper and card, and avoid it being contaminated by other items in the recycling bins and bags. Mainly this is broken glass, liquid left in tins and food waste. These contaminants have been affecting the fibres of the paper, making it difficult to recycle.

“This trial will allow us to do our best for the environment, as well as allowing us to be in greater control of our costs which can be used to help fund other vital services. Similar schemes have operated successfully in other parts of the country, so we hope to see the benefits of introducing a paper and card only collection in our area.”

Before the start of the trial, residents will either receive a new purple wheelie bin or purple bin bag, just for paper and card. Each area of the trial will have its own schedule for collections.

The purple bin and purple bags will be used for items including brochures, cardboard boxes and packaging (no polystyrene or bubble wrap), newspapers and magazines, junk mail and envelopes (with the plastic window in), catalogues, and paper.

The authorities are asking residents to leave out anything with food residue or grease on it, such as tops from food containers and pizza boxes and shredded paper.

Your regular recycling bin should be filled with:

○ clean and dry plastic bottles

○ clean and dry plastic pots, tubs and trays

○ empty aerosol cans

○ clean and dry glass bottles and jars

In your recycling bin, you are asked NOT to put in:

○ Crisp packets

○ Plastic bags

○ Nappies

○ Food

○ Electricals e.g. batteries

These are the main sorts of contamination in the bins at the moment.

Residents’ existing recycling bins in North Kesteven and Boston, and bags in South Holland will continue to be used for plastics, glass, aerosols and rinsed food and drink cans. However, as part of the trial, paper and card will no longer be accepted.

North Kesteven District Council Leader, Coun Richard Wright said: “This trial gives us the opportunity to do something different, not only helping us to further support the environment, but also helping us to reduce the amount of contaminated waste collected - saving both time and money.

“We hope that residents in North Kesteven taking part in the trial feel supported, and should they have any further questions with regards our recycling process, our Waste Team are more than happy to advise further.”

Though the collection days will remain the same, a new calendar of dates will inform residents which bin to put out for collection each week, as recycling bin collections will alternate.

Household waste (general waste) collections will not be affected by the scheme and will continue to be collected as usual.

In the coming weeks, letters advising of the changes to the recycling service will be delivered to the selected residents across the area which have been chosen due to its mix of property types and demographics. A number of drop in advice sessions will also be held across the county to help residents with any problems they may have.

If you have any concerns regarding the bins, such as issues regarding storage space, contact your district council and they will work with you to find a solution which works for you.

In Boston Borough, 3,229 homes will be trialled in Fenside, Wyberton, Frampton and Boston. In South Holland, 2,600 homes in Donington will be affected, while in North Kesteven 1,710 homes in Cranwell, Digby, Timberland, Scopwick, Ashby de la Launde, Roxholm, Rowston, Kirkby Green, Thorpe Tilney and Walcott will be part of the trial scheme.

Residents living in Boston and North Kesteven will receive a purple 240 litre wheeled bin. These will be collected every four weeks, as will their existing recycling bins (no longer containing paper and card). Residual (non recyclable) waste collections will continue to be collected fortnightly.

Residents living in South Holland will receive blue bags. These will be collected every two weeks. Residual waste collections will continue to be collected weekly.

Those selected to be in the trial do not have the choice to opt out of the scheme.

Coun Poll added: “We understand that the trial scheme will require some changes to the way people recycle.

“While this scheme will mean more containers for the households affected, we believe that the system of separated recyclable waste will be a better solution for the environment. We need to collect dry paper and card, so it can be processed and recycled.

“Residents will have the same, if not more, capacity than they do with their current recycling bin or bags. It will also enable us to provide a high quality marketable product for paper and card.”

The paper and card can then be sold direct to the paper mill/processor rather than having to be pulped to become alternative fuel, as it is easier to sort through without finding shards of broken glass or residue from bottles and tins. If the paper gets wet it gets stuck together and is harder to sort and begins to break down leading to a risk of spontaneous combustion if stored too long.

The trial is expected to run for at least 12 months and will be monitored throughout assessing how effective it is as well as asking for residents’ feedback, to determine whether the scheme will be rolled out to other parts of the county.

This trial is the second new recycling initiative run by the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership, following a very successful year long trial of food waste collection in South Kesteven. In the coming months, there will also be a campaign simplifying what residents should put in their recycling bins/bags.

For further information about waste and recycling in, or more details about the trial scheme, contact your local district council.