Published: 22/11/2017
COPELAND residents will be given three plastic boxes and one bag when the borough's new recycling service begins next year.
In April 2018 Copeland Council will launch a new kerbside service which will collect paper, card, plastic, glass and tins/cans from around 95 per cent of homes. It is hoped the scheme will see recycling rates in the borough shoot up.
This afternoon the council's Executive committee agreed that three stackable boxes would be issued - one for paper, one for glass, and one for plastic and cans. These will be accompanied by alarge weighted bag for card.
To deliver the exciting new service the council has invested in four state-of-the-art lorries able to collect all the materials separately. The council has also expanded the fleet to four and employed an additional crew of three.
The new containers are stackable, so that they take up the minimum space, and will be clearly labelled with what goes in each box or bag.
Coun Mark Holliday, Copeland's portfolio holder for waste, said: "This investment is really important for Copeland. We want to make it much easier for people to recycle, and really boost our recycling figures. We think this scheme will do that and so far the feedback from residents has been incredibly positive.
"The containers are a vital part of how the scheme operates. We have tried to strike a balance - the containers must be reasonably easy to store and use, and they must also allow as much 'at-home' sorting as possible. It is this sorting that makes collection go smoothly and, crucially, means we can get the maximum value from the products."
Ahead of the launch, the council will inform residents about exactly when their new containers will be delivered, and distribute collection day calendars.
Residents will be able to take a close look at the type of vehicle and the new boxes/bags at two upcoming 'roadshows' in December. Council staff will showcase an example of the vehicle, plus the new containers, at Whitehaven Market on Thursday December 7 and Egremont Market on Friday December 8.
Residents are also being asked (through the council's budget consultation at www.copeland.gov.uk) whether they would consider buying a stackable trolley system of boxes. The council will consider the responses to this before deciding whether to offer this option.
People on existing assisted collections will continue to get help, and the council will be contacting these residents nearer the time.
The council currently covers more than 95 per cent of its 33,600 homes with its 'black box' kerbside recycling service, and aims to increase that as far as possible with the new service.
The two information events will tell residents more about the new service. Copeland staff will be there to answer questions and demonstrate the new collection boxes and bags. More events are planned for elsewhere in the borough and details of these will be released as soon as possible.
The events are at:
- Whitehaven Market on Thursday, December 7 (9am to 3pm)
- Egremont Market on Friday, December 8 (9am to midday)
Residents should look out in the local media and the council's social media channels over the coming months for updates on this project.
This decision is subject to compliance with standing orders.
