Recycling for flats
Posted: May 5th, 2009 by Jenny.
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This week even though we had the bank holiday collections won’t be effected, as the refuse and recycling crews worked bank holiday Monday. If you wish to find out your collection day please refer to Rother District Councils website www.rother.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4954
Over the coming weeks I shall be looking at ways we can introduce recycling to flats which currently still receive a weekly refuse collection. If you wish to arrange a site visit to discuss the possibilities please contact me on 01424 730344
Changes to collections over Easter
Posted: April 14th, 2009 by Jenny.
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Due to the Easter weekend and the bank holiday Monday, the refuse and recycling collections in Rother have moved back a day e.g. if your collection was meant to be Monday 13th it will be collected Tuesday 14th April.
Collections will return to their usual collection day week commencing Monday 20th April.
Garden waste collections
Posted: March 25th, 2009 by Jenny.
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Monday 23rd March, saw the fourth and fifth phase of the garden waste scheme commence across the district. This means residents on the alternate week collection will receive a fortnightly collection of their garden waste in a green wheelie bin.
Garden waste wheelie bins need to be presented for collection at your collection point by 7am the same week as your recycling boxes. Details of what can be put in your green wheelie bin for collection can be found at Rother District Councils website http://www.rother.gov.uk/media/pdf/t/i/What_goes_in_my_green_bin_Sticker_June_2008.pdf
Melton pupils view waste in a new light
Posted: March 20th, 2009 by Matthew.
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One great part of my job as Recycling & Education Officer is getting to visit schools, college groups and to do youth workshops.
In the primary schools you don’t often get the answers you expect, and things don’t always go to plan, but it’s always good fun. The message for this age group is usually an introduction to the 3 Rs; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Every new group has its own challenges but for me there are always improvements to be made and new ways to bring the message alive.
Image: FE college students reusing waste bicycle tyres to make belts.
Youth groups are a totally different kettle of fish, and tend to centre around hands-on activities where materials are reused, for example making juice cartons into wallets. The aim is to offer a safe activity that is complex enough to keep everyone interested and give them something they’ll want to take home and keep.
If you would like to arrange a visit for your school, college or youth group in Melton, please call the main council switchboard on 01664 502502 and ask for the recycling officer.
Phase four of garden waste collections
Posted: March 1st, 2009 by Jenny.
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Last year in the UK 95% of the household waste which was put out for recycling was successfully recycled.
6 billion plastic bottles were recycled– this is the equivalent of each person in the UK recycling 99 bottles in a year.
On average it costs £45 to landfill a tonne of waste, so it’s actually cheaper to recycle than send materials to landfill!
How can residents of Rother help?
We need to keep up the good work, to find out what can be recycled in your recycling boxes and garden waste bin, please refer to Rother District Councils website, http://www.rother.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4954.
With the introduction of phase four of the garden waste scheme commencing Monday 23rd March, this will help prevent even more waste being sent to landfill. The majority of residents who are on alternate week collections will be receiving a garden waste collection, if you have had notification from Rother District Council that you are going to be part of the scheme and you are still waiting for your green wheelie bin, this should be with you in the next few days.
New Year, New web site
Posted: January 15th, 2009 by Matthew.
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You may have had a look at Melton Borough Council’s new web site already, if not it’s at http://www.melton.gov.uk/. In the waste section (link here), you can now find when your waste is collected, and of course what we collect. I have tried to make the information on the site as clear as possible, and I welcome any questions and comments about how it could be improved.
I’m planning to add further information over the coming weeks as I know many of you are curious what happens to your waste once it leaves your house. Also a directory of how to reduce, reuse and recycle a wide range of materials should be on there soon.
Hopefully it will give you the up-to-date information you’re looking for about how best to dispose of your waste, and how you can reduce the amount you do produce.
Your waste calendar for Melton through your door
Posted: December 9th, 2008 by Matthew.
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By the end of this week we are expecting that all households in Melton will have their waste collection calendars. This year each calendar has just your collection dates on it, and so they should be more straightforward for you the customers than in previous years. Although they are being delivered to every household, you can also find your collection day and download your specific calendar by visiting www.melton.gov.uk.
The leaflet with your calendar also includes a list of the recycling sites in the Borough and the items you can take to each. Since the leaflet went to press, the Household Waste Recycling Sites (run on behalf of the County Council) have stopped accepting plastic food containers (including margarine tubs and yoghurt pots) among the plastics they can recycle, though they do take plastic plant pots and plastic furniture. Plastic food containers are still accepted for recycling at the four mini recycling sites in Melton shown at the top of the list.
Christmas details
Posted: December 5th, 2008 by Jenny.
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Since my last web blog I have been on the WRAP Recycling Managers training course phase 1. This was an intense three day course where we looked at the following topics: Accurate data, Getting collections right, Influencing opinion and behaviour through communication, Monitoring and evaluation and Contracts. Following on from the course I now have two assignments to complete by February.
Yesterday I attended the Hastings and Rother Landlords Forum Meeting, housing issues were discussed as well as household waste and recycling. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 – the Council has a legal position to arrange for the collection of household waste, all other waste becomes commercial, building construction or DIY waste. As a Landlord under the housing Act 2004 you are required to make adequate arrangements for your tenants for the provision of waste. At the meeting my contact number was given incase anyone wishes to discuss their waste or recycling needs. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you aren’t already participating and wish to be included in the recycling scheme, 01424 730344.
Rother District Council has now sent out the Christmas news letter to all residents. This newsletter details the changes to resident’s collections over Christmas and give some great tips. The newsletter can be found on Rother’s Website http://www.rother.gov.uk/media/pdf/s/0/rother_news_08.pdf
Well done Rother!
Posted: November 12th, 2008 by Jenny.
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According to Defra’s release of statistics the average residual household waste per head decreased from 353kg per head in 2006/7 to 324 kg per head in 2007/8.
There was an increase in the national household recycling rate, from 30.9% in 2006/7 to 34.5% in 2007/8. This means in Rother we are above national average as our current recycling rate stands at 38%.
Rother has also been named as no. 7 in the top ten ‘most improved UK recyclers’ and no. 7 in the top ten largest percentage decrease in household waste per head.
More information regarding Defra’s statistics can be found on their website http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/index.htm
Next week I am attending a WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) recycling Managers Training Course, phase 1. WRAP helps individual, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change
The course will develop my knowledge and understanding of the following issues:
Waste management policy and legislation
Accurate data – an invaluable tool
Getting collection right
Influencing opinion and behaviour through communication
Monitoring and evaluation – the keys to improving performance
Contracts – how they can help you get what you want
I shall report back once I have been on the course!
More opportunities to recycle plastics in Melton
Posted: October 27th, 2008 by Matthew.
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In Melton, we have been collecting plastic bottles from the kerbside for nearly ten years. Bottles are still the only plastic containers we can collect in the recycling boxes. “What can I do with my yoghurt pots?” is probably the most common question I’m asked, so are we doing anything about it?
We are continually looking to widen the range of materials you can recycle. While we still can’t offer recycling of other plastics from your boxes, we have just installed new recycling banks in the town.
The new recycling banks allow you to recycle all hard plastic containers such as yoghurt pots, butter tubs and food trays. These sites can not accept expanded polystyrene or plastic bags and wraps.
The banks have been added at four sites in Melton Mowbray which are: Valley Road shops, St. Mary’s Way car park, Wilton Road car park and Tesco on Thorpe Road. The main recycling centres at Somerby, Bottesford and Melton Mowbray (Lake Terrace) continue to offer recycling of these plastics.
If you have any further questions, the Melton Borough Council web site is being re-launched in the near future with more comprehensive information on issues of waste.