Get ready for recycling collection day and system changes

Wiltshire Council is making changes to its kerbside recycling collection service and many households will see their collection day change.

The changes by Wiltshire Council will enable more materials to be placed in the blue lidded bin.  More ‘efficient’ routes will also see fewer collection vehicles on the road, which the council says will further reduce its impact on the environment as part of its pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.

Letters are being sent to every household in Wiltshire to inform them of their new collection day. Once residents have received their letters they can also go online and check their collection day and print off a bespoke collection calendar at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk /waste.

In summary, the changes are: In the blue lidded bin you can recycle: cans, tins, aerosols, paper, cardboard, cartons, foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

In the black box you can recycle: glass bottles and jars and bagged, dry textiles

The blue lidded bins and black boxes will be emptied fortnightly on the same day, using new recycling collection vehicles.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways, transport and waste said, “These improvements to the kerbside recycling service will make it even easier for people to recycle their waste and help us increase the amount of waste we recycle.

“The service changes will take place from 24th February to 20th March, so we are asking people to look out for a letter which will tell them the dates of their last black box and blue lidded bin collection under the current system and the date of their first collection under the new system. Once they have received their letters, people can also visit our website to find out when their recycling collection day will be under the new arrangements.

“The collection day changes will improve the efficiency of our rounds and reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. Fewer vehicles mean we will reduce our environmental impact and contribute to our aim of becoming a carbon neutral council by 2030.”

Wiltshire Council recycling tips: Wash and squash all cans, tins, plastic and cartons where possible. 

Bottles, jars, cans, cartons and aerosols should be empty; lids can be left on.

Flatten cardboard boxes to make more room in your bin.

If you think you may not have enough room in your blue lidded bin, please try squashing and flattening as much of your recycling as possible for the first few collections to see if this means you could manage. 

Larger or additional blue lidded bins will not be delivered until residents have first tried the new service and demonstrated to themselves that, despite squashing and flattening materials, they need additional capacity. They can then request a larger or additional blue lidded bin via the Wiltshire Council website.