Green bin to go

With the emphasis on the Silver bin, it will be a simpler, easier and more convenient system as it aims to encourage residents to further boost Cheshire East's prolific recycling rate and save money.

And it means all current schemes will be streamlined to create a single borough-wide service.
Once formally approved, a three-bin system will be introduced: the Silver bin for mixed dry recyclables and one bin each for garden and residual waste.

Cheshire East achieved a recycling rate in 2009/10 of 49.46 per cent – the highest in the North West and almost 10 per cent higher than the national average. The Council wants to build on this success.

Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: "Thanks to the efforts of our residents we have the best recycling rate in the North West. But as a council we have a leading role and commitment to looking after the environment so we must do more.

"We are now a Recycling service, not a traditional waste collection service. The Silver bin is central to this initiative and with these arrangements we will be able to recycle a huge range of materials. The full list of items will be clearly stated on a sticker on the bin lid.

"The environmental negatives of landfill are clear to us all. What cannot be overlooked is that the cost to the Cheshire East council tax payer for landfill tax this year is £3.5m. Next year, this goes up to £4.2m unless we recycle more.

"We now have a real opportunity to make a collective effort to put the huge range of items that can be recycled in to the Silver bin. Being lazy and throwing these items in to the black bin is being socially irresponsible and is not acceptable to the vast majority of Cheshire East residents."

The transformation will allow householders to put a far greater range of materials in their silver bin than at present, including glass, mixed plastics and film wrap. All residents will be supplied with a full list when the scheme begins.

This design, based on feedback from residents and research from other parts of the country, will remove local variations and make the service suitable for all parts of Cheshire East.

The bins will be standard 240-litre wheeled containers that will be collected on an alternate weekly schedule. For those properties that cannot accommodate a wheeled container for the Silver or black bin, Council-approved sacks and 55-litre boxes will be provided.

The scheme will operate over a standard five-day week and collections will take place on bank holidays, with the exception of Christmas and New Year.

Phase one will cover the southern part of Cheshire East, beginning in May, and the northern region will start in October."

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