The roll out of the new wheeled bin recycling service is set to begin next Monday (2 September) for the next ten weeks. 

 

The first areas to receive their bins will be all households in Lode, Longmeadow, Mepal, Stretham, Wilburton and Witcham as well as certain streets in Bottisham, Ely and Fordham. 

 

For those who have had their bins delivered the new service will start the following week and can be broken down as follows:

 

* A blue lid wheeled bin recycling collection, including paper, glass, food & drinks cans, plastic bottles & hard plastic food containers, cartons and cardboard. This will be collected fortnightly.

* A green lid wheeled bin collection for organics to include food and garden waste. This will also be collected fortnightly.

 

The service will operate on an alternate week basis where residents will be asked to put one wheeled bin out for collection one week followed by their other bin the following week. This is in addition to the weekly black sack waste collections 

 

Liz Knox, Head of Environmental Services at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Throughout the summer we have been out and about throughout the district to explain why we are introducing the new wheeled bin service and how residents should use it. There have been lots of questions and a huge amount of positive feedback from those we have spoken to on their doorsteps, on Market Squares and at shows. They have told us how much they are looking forward to using a system which will be easy to use and will help them to recycle more. We have also had calls from residents whose homes were deemed not suitable for the new service wanting wheeled bins.

 

“Over the next ten weeks, we will be delivering wheeled bins to homes throughout the district. Some villages will get their bins all in one go but for the larger towns we have had to stagger the deliveries. As well as the bins, everyone will get a leaflet explaining when their collection days will be and how to use the new service as well as a year’s supply of black sacks for the weekly waste collections. Throughout this period people can come and talk to us at our mini roadshows, call officers with any questions or visit the website which is full of useful advice and information. 

 

“Finally, we would like to thank everyone in advance for their patience as the new service comes in, for while we have tried to plan for every eventuality there may be some things which do not run as we’d like. However, I think the vast majority of residents understand this and are looking forward to getting and using their new service.”

 

Properties which have been judged unable to accept wheeled bin services because of space or access issues have been offered an alternative service based on clear sacks for recycling and continuation of the existing brown sack service for food and garden waste.

 

There will also be a fleet of new vehicles for the new services as well as a rescheduling of rounds to reduce carbon emissions.

 

These changes are possible after East Cambridgeshire District Council successfully bid for £5 million from Central Government to fund a new recycling service and retain weekly waste collections last year.

 

For more information on the waste and recycling service in East Cambridgeshire please call 01353 665555.