Householders' recycling efforts praised

Householders living in Exmouth (The Colony) have made an extraordinary effort in the first week of a new recycling trial by collecting almost 60% more recyclables in just seven days.

Around 900 homes in the area have just started an improved recycling trial where residents are, for the first time, able to recycle cardboard and mixed plastics along with their usual extensive number of other recyclables including glass, metals, paper, plastic bottles, textiles and food waste. All the recycling is being collected weekly at the kerbside by East Devon District Council contractors.

The first collection of the new recyclables for Exmouth (The Colony) was last Thursday and an amazing 3.5 tonnes of recycling was collected – an extra 1.3 tonnes compared to the previous week.

Cllr Iain Chubb, the council’s portfolio holder for the Environment, said he was delighted with the first week’s results.

“I would like to personally thank each and every resident in Exmouth (The Colony) who has taken the time and effort to bring about such a great first week of the trial.

“Householders across East Devon have been asking us to help them recycle more and waste less for some time now and I’m hoping these trials will help us understand the practicalities of how we can meet their needs, benefit our environment and ensure the service we provide is economically viable.”

Feniton is also taking part in the trials and the first week of recycling will be collected there this week. Again, 900 households in the new areas of the village are taking part. Residents are reminded that only those who have received direct mail from the council’s recycling team about the trial are able to put out the extra recyclables of cardboard and mixed plastics.

As residents are able to recycle more for collection every week, it’s expected that they will throw away less bulky waste in their grey wheeled bin which will then be collected every three weeks instead of every two weeks.

For Exmouth (The Colony), the first collection of the grey wheeled bins under the new scheme will be Thursday October 1. The first waste collection of the grey wheeled bins under the new scheme for Feniton will be Wednesday October 7.

The council is keen to help residents throughout the trials and has a dedicated team of officers who are out and about in both trial areas, talking to householders, advising them on how they can reduce their waste and recycle more, while gathering information on how the trials are progressing.

Andrew Hancock, the council’s service lead for Street Scene, said: “We are aware that there are some residents who have concerns about how to cope with the trials. For example, people who live in large families, households with children in nappies and residents who use incontinence pads. We do understand these concerns and we want to help them individually in a sensitive and practical way.

“Our recycling officers have a great deal of experience and will be able to assist them in so many ways. Anyone who has concerns can contact us and we will help in any way we can.”
He also has a number of tips for residents. He said: “We find that there is a lot of ‘dead’ space in wheeled bins and suggest placing black bags on their side to create more space. Using small waste bags also helps to maximise space.

“We also suggest that people look carefully when buying products such as fruit and vegetables as there can be so much packing around these products. Buying these products loose, means less waste and often it’s cheaper too.”

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. For residents who need assistance, the council’s recycling team can be contacted on 01395 571515 or email csc@eastdevon.gov.uk You can follow East Devon District Council on social media through twitter @eastdevon or facebook /eastdevon

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.