Recycling roadshow rolls into Exmouth

Scores of people came along to East Devon District Council’s Feniton recycling road show on Saturday to pick up top tips on how to recycle more and throw away less.

The event was held in the village to help householders prepare for the new improved recycling collection service which is being trialled in the area, and in Exmouth (The Colony), from mid-September.

Next Saturday (August 29) the road show rolls in to the Imperial Recreation Ground in Exmouth from 11am to 2pm and everyone is invited to come along and have a chat with the council’s recycling and waste team.

For the first time, residents in both trial areas will be able to recycle cardboard and mixed plastics along with their current other recyclables which will be collected from the kerbside every week along with their food waste.

Around 1,800 households will be taking part in the trials and over the next few weeks each household will receive an additional 70 litre reusable sack which they can use for their extra recyclables along with their green recycling boxes.

As residents will be able to recycle more in their weekly collection, they will produce less waste to go in their grey wheeled bin which will then be collected every three weeks instead of every two weeks.

The council is carrying out the trial help prepare for a new recycling and waste contract next year and in response to residents who have been asking to recycle more materials such as cardboard and mixed plastics.

Cllr Iain Chubb, the council’s portfolio holder for the Environment, said that the road shows were an ideal opportunity for residents to talk to officers about the trials.

“Our officers have a great deal of experience in how we can all improve our recycling and minimise the waste we throw away. As the trials start next month, talking to our team will really help householders prepare.”

Cllr Susie Bond, who represents the Feniton ward and who attended the road show on Saturday, added: “We had a very good turnout and the majority of people were really pleased to see that the council is taking mixed plastics and cardboard. We even spoke to people who don’t live in the trial area, wishing that they did!”

Information on the trials is available on the council’s website – eastdevon.gov.uk – and includes a list of frequently asked questions, and top tips on how to recycle effectively.

The council also has a really useful smart phone app which will send reminders about recycling and waste collection days tailored to your own address. The East Devon mobile app is free and is available to download for iphone users from the Apple App Store and for Android smart phone users from the Google Play Store. Current users of the app are reminded to download an updated version in early September.