Recycling News

Latest News on the Recycling and Rubbish Service in North West Leicestershire. Use the Headlines Below to Read More.

Become a Waste Action Volunteer - Aug 2011

Work, rest or play; recycle at home or away - Jun 2011

Compost Awareness Week 2011 - Apr 2011

Thank you North West Leicestershire - Feb 2011

Large items, little fuss - Jan 2011

Light bulb moment in recycling - Jan 2011

Litter after recycling collections - Jan 2011

WEEE recycle more and more - Dec 2010

NWLDC wins national recycling award - July 2010

Become a Waste Action Volunteer

Would you like to learn new skills, meet new people and take part in an exciting scheme?

The Leicestershire Waste Partnership is looking to recruit and train 20 people to become Waste Action Volunteers – experts who help residents reduce the amount of rubbish they send to landfill. In Leicestershire, every two weeks we throw away enough waste to fill the Albert Hall; we need your help to reduce this.

The scheme will let the volunteers organise and run competitions, workshops and events, along with lots of other exciting opportunities. It will give you the opportunity to help residents in your local community, gain work experience in waste and environmental topics and meet new people whilst getting involved in the local area. In retunr for your time you will recieve, support from our volunteer co-ordinator, all mileage expenses paid, free training and opportunities for further training courses and events.

The initial training will focus on Home Composting, Love Food Hate Waste (a National campaign to help reduce food waste) and Recycling. Additional training modules will be available in areas such as Real Nappies, Reuse and Packaging if you are interested in expanding your knowledge further. As a Waste Action Volunteer you will be asked to complete 30 hours of volunteering in the first year. The course is open to all Leicestershire residents (excluding Leicester City) aged 18 years and over.

To apply: Download an application form and return it either electronically to wasteprevention@leics.gov.uk or in the post to the address detailed on the form. For more information please call 0116 305 7005 or visit www.lesswaste.org.uk . Closing date for applications is Friday 2nd September.

Work, rest or play; recycle at home or away 

Next week marks the start of Recycle Week, 20^th-26^th June, and North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) is encouraging residents to remember to recycle wherever they are, whether at home, at work or out and about. Many are recycling more at home than ever before, as three-quarters of us now report we are recycling as a way of life. The great news is, the recycling rate for NWLDC now stands at over 44%.

However, NWLDC is now aiming to help us recycle the plastic bottles, paper and cans, and other items we use when we’re not at home. NWLDC currently offers businesses a paper and card recycling service, which helped businesses recycle over 100 tonnes last year. There are also lots of plastic & cans recycling centres around the district, which residents can use when they are out and about. The council itself has also been recycling, with green cones for lunchtime waste, paper, car, plastics, cans, batteries, mobile phones and printer cartridges all getting recycled, in the last year, reducing the councils waste to landfill by one third.

You can find out about how to recycle more at home and away by visiting www.recyclenow.com, or to find us on facebook search ‘Recycling NWLeicestershire’.

 We will also be at:

Ibstock co-op (Tue), Coalville Morrissons (Wed), Castle Donington Co-op (Thu) and finally Ashby town centre (Fri), from 2pm-6pm during recycle week, to offer advice, recycling containers and answer any questions you can throw at us about recycling at home and away.

Pass on your composting tips

Residents in North West Leicestershire are being asked to “pass it on”, as part of the eleventh annual international Compost Awareness Week being celebrated between Sunday 1st to Saturday 7th May.

Households in England throw away around 4 million tonnes of waste every year that could have been composted. By ‘passing on’ their composting tips to friends and family, residents will be able to make a difference to the environment in their community. Composting garden waste is great for the environment and produces fantastic compost to give gardens a boost. It’s not just garden waste that can be composted. Items including tea bags, coffee grounds, cardboard and shredded paper, egg shells, tissues and paper napkins can all be composted too.

Roadshows will be held by the district council around the district during the week. The Waste Services team will be at Coalville Morrissons on Wednesday 4^th May and finally Ashby Town Centre on Friday 6^th May.

Residents living in Leicestershire can purchase subsidised compost bins and food waste digesters to help them on their way. Details are available through www.lesswaste.org. Local authorities in Leicestershire are working together to promote the composting message, in association with the international Pass It On campaign. 

26th April 2011

 

WEEE competition to encourage recycling

Every year in the UK, we throw away 1.2 million tonnes of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) which could be recycled or refurbished. So to encourage more WEEE recycling North West Leicestershire District Council are running a competition on Friday 25^th March to win a 32” flatscreen TV.

WEEE is anything from a toaster to a hairdryer, if it has a plug or uses batteries then its WEEE. NWLDC currently collects small WEEE (nothing bigger than a 14” TV) from recycling banks in High Street, Ibstock and Hermitage Leisure Centre, Whitwick. So this Climate Week they are running a competition with their WEEE partners Environcom, to recycle as much WEEE as possible.

On Friday 25^th March 4pm-6pm, they will be handing out tokens for every piece of WEEE that is recycled at the WEEE bank outside the Hermitage Leisure Centre. One lucky token will then be pulled out of a hat and will win a brand new 32” flat screen TV from Environcom.

Environcom take the small WEEE that the Council collect and then refurbish or recycle it. If it’s refurbished then it will go to be sold in a British Heart Foundation shop. If it cannot be fixed, then it will get recycled and made into a new product.

So make sure you bring along your broken kettle or out of date iron to Hermitage Leisure Centre on Friday 25^th March 4pm-6pm to be in with a chance of winning a 32” flatscreen TV.

18th March 2011

Thank you North West Leicestershire

The Council would like to say a big thank you to all of our residents. The Christmas period this year was a very busy one for all concerned what with the difficulties caused by the snow and increased levels of waste over the holidays. The patience and goodwill we received from residents was fantastic and the amount of recycling generated was staggering.

Waste collectors did find it difficult in wintry weather and struggled to complete their usual collections with the freezing temperatures, icy roads and pavements. 

Collection crews disrupted their break by coming in between Christmas and New Year to make sure all residents received a collection, even if some were rescheduled. Our residents were understanding throughout and actually recycled even more than the same period last year. 9% more recycling was collected this year over the Christmas period compared with last year. There was also a reduction in waste sent to landfill from last year of 140 tonnes.

Thank you too for the high number of compliments received. Trevor in Coalville, emailed to “pass on his thanks to the collection crew”, he also helped out by contacting local neighbourhood watch members about the rescheduled collections. Mrs. Finnie in Ashby wrote to “compliment NWLDC on the fact that, although collections were clearly difficult, you went the extra mile, and put on extra collections, to make sure our bins were emptied”. The Christmas period is always hectic and this year we had terrible weather, but the goodwill from residents and hard work by crews ensured everyone had their waste collected. 

Large items, little fuss

We understand that everyone has large items to get rid of occasionally, like a washing machine, or three piece suite and in North West Leicestershire there are a number of things you can do with large household items.

Freeuse is Leicestershire's brand new website where you can find new homes for your unwanted belongings for free.

REACT, a charity based at the Marlene Reid Centre in Coalville will collect good quality furniture and household goods free of charge from householders in the district, call 01530 510515 for more information.

We also operate a chargeable bulky waste collection service that collects every Wednesday and Thursday. It is a chargeable service and you can call 01530 454572 to find out more. Recently there have been incidents where the items have been collected by unlicensed operators before the council arrive.  They have also been knocking on doors asking for large electrical items. It is likely that the people who are taking these items are not registered waste carriers and do not work for the Council. We only collect in Council vans and we give the crew a list of properties each week to collect from so we will not visit if a booking has not been made. Be aware of unlicensed waste collectors and please keep an eye on vulnerable neighbours who have large electrical items waiting to be collected. If you suspect that a waste collector is not registered please report it to the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 or 01709 389 201.

Light bulb moment in recycling

9 out of 10 households have at least one low energy light bulb, and with the ban on old style 60W bulbs coming in next year it will mean millions more being used. They have a long life, but eventually they will stop working and what happens after that is what most people are unsure of. Less than half of residents realise that light bulbs should be recycled, not only does it save resources, it also stops small amounts of mercury being put in landfill.

It is a light bulb moment for many residents when they are told that you can recycle energy saving light bulbs at the Recycling and Household Waste Sites in Coalville and Lount. They are taken away and broken up into the glass and other parts which all get recycled. The mercury and the other small amounts of hazardous chemicals are separated and disposed on safely, so they don't get the chance to pollute the local area by sitting in a landfill.

So next time one of your energy saving light bulb goes, remember to drop by the local Recycling and Household Waste site on your way past and recycle those bulbs.

25th January 2011

Litter after recycling collections

It has been a busy time for waste collections this winter. The poor weather combined with the usual surge in waste produced to make a difficult period, but we have persevered with extra collections, long hours and great support from residents.

Some areas have seen increased litter in the streets after recycling collections. Plastic bottles, tin cans, plastic trays and paper are all easily blown around by the wind, which creates litter. Our crews are instructed to sweep up any mess they make and we actively monitor the crews to make sure they are doing this along with putting containers back in the right place and other things that residents expect from an excellent service.

The extra recyclable waste created at Christmas makes it harder to keep the waste in all the containers. We ask that residents take a few steps to ensure the waste does not escape before the crews get a chance to collect it.

Wash & Squash - Making sure the plastics and cans are all squashed means you can get double the amount of plastics and cans in the red box

Lids & Nets - The lids and nets should be fitted tightly, and the flaps on the paper and cardboard bags can be fastened using the Velcro strap. 

Extra containers -  You can put extra recycling in clear plastic bags, it is important the crews can see what is in it, but if your recycling containers are regularly full then some extras would fit the bill. You can order extra containers easily and making sure you have enough is essential in reducing litter. Call 01530 454572 or email recycling@nwleicestershire.gov.uk. 

We have arranged for extra street sweeping for the affected areas where possible, and will continue to monitor the collection crews.

10th January 2011

WEEE recycle more and more

Over 60% of the household bin can be recycled, other items that are harder to recycle can be taken to lots of bring banks around the district, things like clothes, books and drinks cartons. Now NWLDC has added even more to that list, WEEE banks have been placed at Hermitage Leisure Centre and High Street car park in Ibstock. WEEE is Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment, but always brings a look of surprise to people who haven't heard it before.

So you can now take your hairdryers, irons and toasters to 4 sites in the district. The two Recycling and Household Waste sites at Coalville and Lount, and now Hermitage Leisure centre and High Street Ibstock. 36% of WEEE was recycled last year, but the UK is hoping to achieve 65% by 2016, so NWLDC is doing its bit by adding more collection points.

All the WEEE is taken away to be recycled, it is normally smashed up into its component parts and then sorted, and then each part is sent away to be used again in manufacture. There are lots of precious metals in WEEE, these are very hard to extract from the ground, so recycling them saves lots of resources and C02.

So next time the hair tongs pack in, remember to pop along to a WEEE bank and recycle them, and lets reach that 65% recycling rate.

17th December 2010

NWLDC Wins National Recycling Award

North West Leicestershire District Council picked up the prize for Local Authority Team of the Year at Friday night’s National Recycling Awards, held at the Hilton Hotel, London.

The best recycling and waste management achievements in the UK were recognised at this year’s prestigious awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in London on 15 July 2010.

The 2010 National Recycling Awards were hosted by MRW. The awards continue to reward and support the efforts of public and private sector achievements in recycling and waste management; focusing on local authorities and public organisations as well as the construction and retail sectors.

Portfolio Holder for Environment Councillor Alison Smith said “it’s another fantastic achievement to be shortlisted for not just one but two national recycling awards. This highlights the desire and commitment of everyone involved in waste management at the Council to deliver and exceed expectations, and the District can feel very proud of their service”.

The Council has recently introduced kerbside mixed plastics recycling, set up commercial waste recycling collections, and redeveloped and expanded the popular reuse website www.freeuseit.org. These were just some of the things the team has achieved and they are looking forward to achieving even more in the future.

20th July 2010

 

Work, rest or play; recycle at home or away