IT’S THE BIG BIN BAG Q&A
ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Why does a single person living alone have the same waste allocation as a family of five? Bridgend council: “We have had to design a service that is affordable and meets the needs of the majority of residents. While it may seem unfair that a single person household is treated the same as a family of five, there had to be a cut off somewhere and, based on the findings of other councils that have successfully introduced similar restrictions, a two-bag limit is achievable for the average household of five people.
Research by WRAP Cymru has revealed that almost half of what is put into the average refuse bag could have been recycled instead of going to landfill, including food (30.6%) and paper and card waste (13.6%).
Removing all recyclable items and placing them in the appropriate sack or container will help free a lot of space within landfill bags – there is no limit on how much recycling can be put out for collection and extra recycling containers can be requested.”
So what exactly CAN we recycle? Bridgend council: “There should be very little left to go into waste bags once you consider that the new system enables households to recycle: cardboard, egg boxes, birthday cards, waxed drinks cartons and tetra packs, paper, newspapers and magazines, telephone directories, catalogues, shredded paper, junk mail and envelopes, plastic bottles including milk, drink or shampoo bottles, food containers including yoghurt pots and margarine tubs, plastic cups, non-black food trays, punnets, aerosols, foil trays and containers, food tins, drink cans, cooked and uncooked food including meat, fish, bones, peelings, tea bags and pet food, glass bottles, jars etc.
“You can also recycle the following by placing them in a plastic bag and putting it out alongside your regular recycling: textiles, shoes, small electrical items, batteries, mobile phones, spectacles.”
What can I do with pet waste such as dog poo bags, cat litter etc? Bridgend council: “Pet waste will need to go in the blue waste bags with the rest of your non-recyclable rubbish. Alternatively, you can take it to the community recycling centre. We would advise dog owners to make the most of the public bins that are available for them to use while out walking. If you recycle as much as you can then the average pet owner should have plenty of room inside their blue rubbish bags to accommodate their pet waste. Alternative disposal methods include the use of pet waste digesters and wormeries.”
Can I put out a single rubbish bag one fortnight, and then three bags for the following collection? Bridgend council: “No, it will not be possible to do this. If residents were allowed to place out an average of two bags per fortnight as opposed to a maximum of two bags, the crews would have no way of differentiating between those who are working to an average of two bags per fortnight, and those who are simply not complying and not recycling fully. As a result, we would be unable to target areas where we need to take action to educate residents until individuals run out of bags because they used them too quickly – by which point we will have missed the opportunity to work with them to change their behaviour.”
In my street, everyone puts their rubbish bags into one big pile. How will you know who has put out more than their limit of bags? Bridgend council: “All homes will be given enough blue rubbish bags to last them a year, and anyone who regularly puts out more than their two bags by adding them to someone else’s pile, putting them in communal piles etc, will soon find that they run out of bags. It will be possible to request more bags as we appreciate that some residents will lose them, they may break etc, but if someone is regularly asking for bags it will become clear that they aren’t complying.
“Our priority will be to work with householders first and foremost, and help them become used to using the new system as quickly as possible. Enforcement action will always be a last resort.”
The new blue bin bags look a bit thin, and I’m concerned about people seeing my waste. Can I “double bag” them? Bridgend council: “Yes. Everyone is welcome to use a bin liner for their waste and then place that inside the blue bin bags. The waste does not need to be visible or put loose into the new bags. The same applies for the purple AHP (nappy collection) bags.”
When will the AHP (nappy collection) bags be collected and how many can I put out? Bridgend council: “The AHP bags will be collected fortnightly on the same day as your rubbish. There is no limit to the number of AHP bags you can put out.” I do not want people to see that a member of my family needs an AHP collection. Is there anything that can be done for me? Bridgend council: “The majority of people who use the absorbent hygiene product [AHP] collection service will be parents who have nappies to recycle, so in all those cases we expect the AHP bags to be presented at the kerbside for collection as usual. However, we appreciate that there may be a small number of residents who will feel more comfortable with a discreet AHP collection, so in these exceptional circumstances it will be possible for these residents to request a discreet col-
lection by contacting Kier on 01656 643643 or emailing recyclingandwaste@bridgend.gov.uk. Each request will be considered on a case by case basis.
Can grandparents who look after their grandchildren register for the nappies collection? Bridgend council: “No. As grandparents tend to be living in a household that has a maximum of two people, if they recycle as much as possible then they should still have enough room in their blue waste bags to accommodate the nappies they accumulate while caring for their grandchildren. Alternatively, the nappies can be bagged up and given back to the parent to put in their own purple AHP bags, if they have registered for the collections.”
Will the system affect how much Council Tax I pay? Bridgend council: “No – it costs approximately £2.50 a week per property to collect and dispose of the county borough’s waste and recycling, and only a small part of your council tax goes towards this.”
Due to a change in my collection day after June 5, I now have a three week gap between collections. What am I supposed to do? Bridgend council: “Anyone who has a three week gap between their refuse collections, due to a change in collection day, will be able to put out an extra waste bag for their first collection after June 5. It will mean that you will be one bag down, but you’ll get your next roll of bags before you run out of the current supply.”
Deputy leader Hywel Williams said: “The new system is not unique to Bridgend County Borough. When similar arrangements have been introduced elsewhere, householders have quickly adapted to the changes and helped make the schemes a success.
“We recognise that there have been some initial teething problems, but this is a huge project. A great deal of performance management is taking place to help Kier address these issues and ensure that the new system is implemented effectively.”