Recycling news and updates

Missed recycling at Pleasant Place, Kegworth - Tuesday 15 November

We have been unable to empty red boxes and blue bags from Pleasant Place in Kegworth due to vehicles blocking access on Tuesday 15 November 2022.

Unfortunately we are unable to return before the next scheduled recycling collection so please put your red boxes and blue bags back out before 6am on Tuesday 29 November.

If you have extra recycling that will not fit in the boxes / bags, please follow our advice for putting out extra recycling and our crews will collect it on your next recycling day.

2022-23 waste collection calendar deliveries

Deliveries of the 2022-23 waste collection calendars have begun, with the calendars being hand delivered throughout November.

The calendars detail your household recycling and waste collection dates for the next 12 months, starting from December 2022 (including Christmas and New Year collections) through to November 2023.

*Please note Burley Rise, Pleasant Place and High Street in Kegworth may have received an N1 calendar in error. Please note the correct N2 calendar was delivered on Wednesday 9 November. You can check the 'calendar code' on the top right corner of your calendar.

When will I receive my calendar?

You should receive your calendar by the end of November. If you have not received your calendar by 1 December, please email recycling@nwleicestershire.gov.uk or call 01530 454545

When will my 2022-23 waste collection dates be available online?

The calendars and collection dates will be available online from 1 December 2022. From this date, you will also be able to view your collection dates by searching your postcode using the ‘My Location’ search box available throughout the website.

Saving money whilst reducing waste - a win for your wallet and the environment

It can sometimes feel like making an eco-friendly choice just isn’t affordable – especially at a time when many are feeling financially stretched. But there are still plenty of changes we can make that not only result in less waste, but they can save you money too!

Save energy and money 

• Use LED bulbs – Each LED used in your home can make a lifetime saving of £180
• Turn down your wash – Washing at lower temperatures will help reduce energy use and is better for your clothes
• Defrost your freezer – A defrosted freezer costs around £150 less a year to run.

Repair it

It’s usually cheaper to repair a broken appliance than to buy a new one – especially if you can learn to fix it yourself.

There are a few groups around Leicestershire that can support you in repairing items.

• The repair bench (Coalville)
• Men in Sheds (Coalville)
• Leicester Fixers (Across Leicestershire)
• The Tech Shack (Coalville)

A good rule of thumb is to avoid spending more than 50% of the cost of a new product on repairing an old one. Otherwise it might be more cost-effective to replace the broken item!

Reuse it

Carrying a reusable water bottle not only saves the need to buy single-use plastic bottles of water, but you can have it filled up for free! Use the Refill app when out and about to check where your nearest refill point is, or just pop into the closest café or pub and ask them to fill up your bottle.

Reduce food waste 

The average family of four can save just over £60 per month by reducing their food waste, so it’s kind to our bank accounts as well as the planet.

Creating a meal plan, writing a shopping list, doing one big shop and then sticking to the meal plan really helps to only buy what you need and make sure it is all used up.

Keep an eye out for the discount shelves which display items that have reached their ‘use by’ date. Many of the items on these shelves are sold at a reduced price and can be put straight in the freezer for use at a later date.

Heading on holiday soon? In Britain we throw away £500 million worth of edible food before we go on holiday each year. From checking your freezer to making a homecoming meal, this ‘Traveller’s check’  has some great tips to help you stop good food from going to waste. 

Love Food Hate Waste have lots more tips for wasting less food whilst saving money.

Try real nappies 

Gone are the days of terry squares and soaking… converting to ‘real’ reusable nappies from disposables can make a big difference to the amount of rubbish families with young children generate.

On average, a baby uses between 5,000 and 7,000 disposable nappies over a 2.5 year period. And this can cost between £735 - £1,211 but a switch to reusable nappies can save up to £600!

Even a switch to only using reusable nappies when at home, and then disposables when out and about could make such a difference to your bank account and the environment.

Leicestershire County Council offer a free real nappy trial kit so you can find out which type of nappies suit your baby before buying.

Find out more about making a switch to reusable nappies.

Missed recycling and garden waste collections - Thursday 20 October 2022 

We have been unable to collect recycling and garden waste from the streets below due to various collection issues including roadworks.

• Chapel Street, Ibstock
• Bakers Field Close, Ibstock
• Pepper Drive, Ibstock
• Dale Road, Ibstock (including Satchwell Place, Riley Drive and Redshaw Lane)
• Lewis Close, Ibstock

• Hemsley Road estate, Hugglescote
• Lovett Close, Hugglescote

Unfortunately we will be unable to return for recycling containers and bins on these streets. Please present extra recycling on your next scheduled collection following the guidance below.

• Putting extra glass, paper, cardboard and plastic/cans/tins out for collection
• What to do with extra garden waste

Extra recycling? Help us to collect it with these tips...

Glass and plastic/cans/tins 

You can put extra red box recycling out in reusable plastic containers such as a washing up bowl or plastic storage boxes/baskets. Please make sure glass is always kept in a separate container to plastic/cans/tins/foil. 

You can also order extra red boxes online.

Unsure which items you can recycle? Find out here.

Cardboard

Extra cardboard which does not fit in the yellow bag should be flattened to no bigger than 2ft x 2ft and left next to the red boxes, weighed down if you can.

Please also remove any packaging such as polystyrene, plastic film/wrapping and any plastic straps. We can only collect clean cardboard (without any food left on it).

Additional yellow bags can also be ordered online.

Paper

If you regularly have more paper than will fit in your blue bag, you can order another blue bag. If you only occasionally have extra paper to recycle, please try to spread the amount you put out over a few collections.

Recycling put out in plastic bags will not be collected by our crews due to the issues they cause. Find out how plastic bags cause problems.

Garden waste

If you have more garden waste than will fit in your bin, please take a look at our tips and advice for disposing of extra garden waste.

Recycle more and waste less this Easter

Planning for a low waste Easter? From recycling Easter egg packaging to reducing food waste, we have some ‘eggcellent’ tips and advice to help!

Easter egg packaging

Most Easter egg packaging is recyclable, but it isn’t always simple… just one Easter egg can contain at least 4 different types of packaging! Here’s what to do with it:

• Cardboard box – flatten and recycle in the yellow bag
• Plastic moulding – recycle in the red box with your plastics, cans, and tins
• Foil – recycle in the red box with your plastics, cans, and tins
• Chocolate bar / sweet wrappers and bags – recycle at most major supermarkets

Remember, we should always try to reduce our waste before we look at recycling it. Buying wisely and choosing eggs with minimal packaging can help. You could also try making your own Easter treats - saving you money and space in your recycling containers!

Easter cards

Around 20 million cards are sent and received at Easter in the UK… That’s a lot of paper, resources, and miles!

Reduce your carbon footprint by sending an e-card or social media message to friends and family instead. If you do choose to send a traditional Easter card, try to buy cards without glitter and bows so they can be easily recycled.

Easter cards can be recycled in the yellow bag with your cardboard - just take care to tear off any bows or glittery parts. You could use these to make your own cards next year, otherwise they should be put in the black bin.

Most paper envelopes can be recycled in the blue bag but please recycle any brown envelopes with your cardboard in the yellow bag.

Tackling food waste

Every year, UK households waste 4.5 million tonnes of edible food waste – that’s enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins!

One of the best ways to prevent food waste this Easter is by planning your meals, creating a shopping list, and then sticking to the plan. By doing this you’ll only buy what you actually need, and it could save you money too. Using a portion planner like this one can help.

Make your food last longer by making the most of your freezer. Lots of the foods we eat at Easter can be frozen, ready to enjoy at a later date – such as hot cross buns! Simply pop them in the freezer before the ‘use by’ date, then defrost in the fridge or microwave and toast when you’re ready to enjoy them again.

Do you know the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates? Understanding these labels on food packaging can help to make sure you’re not throwing good food away, or putting your health at risk. This useful guide explains the difference.

Love Food Hate Waste have lots of fantastic recipes for making the most of your food. Why not try this hot cross apple crumble recipe – perfect for using up any stale hot cross buns!

Recycling and waste collections over Easter

Our recycling and waste collections will run as normal over the Easter period. Please make sure your bins and containers are put out before 6am on your scheduled collection day.

Recycling container and bin delivery delays

Please note we are currently facing delivery delays for recycling containers and bins due to supplier delays and the need to prioritise recycling and waste collections.

We will try our best to deliver your bins and containers in the timeframes below, but please bear with us if your delivery takes a little longer.

These timeframes also apply if you have already ordered a recycling container or bin. Our team is working hard to clear any backlog.

• Red boxes - Deliveries may take 10-12 weeks
• Yellow and blue bags - Deliveries may take 8-12 weeks
• Wheeled bins - Wheeled bin repairs may take up to 8 weeks. If you have ordered a new bin or a replacement, this may take up to 4 weeks to arrive.

Please follow our advice for putting out extra recycling whilst you wait for your containers to arrive. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience at this busy time.

'Tis the season to recycle!

Below is some useful information and top tips to make recycling easier at Christmas!

• Wrapping paper can only be recycled in the blue bag if it passes the scrunch test. Foil or plastic based wrapping paper which doesn't scrunch up (and stay scrunched!) isn't recyclable. Please put any brown wrapping paper in the yellow bag.

• If you have extra recycling (tins, cans, plastics and glass) over Christmas, please avoid putting it in plastic bags. Instead use a plastic container like a washing-up bowl or plastic storage box - keeping glass separate.

• Please flatten extra cardboard to 2ft x 2ft and leave this out neatly bundled next to your yellow bag. You can also flatten it to this size and put it into cardboard boxes that are no bigger than a red box.

• Will you be enjoying roast turkey, nut roast or something else delicious in a foil dish or tray? If so, remember to give it a quick rinse and recycle it in your red box! All other types of foil can be recycled if it's clean.

• We will collect your real Christmas tree so it can be turned into compost! Just pop it inside your garden bin (not next to it). 

  The bin lid should fully close so trees may need to be trimmed/cut in order to fit. You can also take real Christmas trees to one of Leicestershire County Council’s Recycling and Household Waste Sites.

• Batteries and mobile phones should always be kept out of the black bin as they are a fire risk. Used batteries and old mobile phones can be put in a lidded, recyclable container (e.g. jam jar or plastic takeaway tub) and put out next to the red boxes for collection.

• Will you be enjoying some cranberry sauce or festive chutney over Christmas? Did you know you can recycle the plastic or metal lids? Simply unscrew the lid and put it in your red box with the rest of your plastic, cans and tins.

• Christmas cards can be recycled in the yellow bag. You can help make sure they are recycled by tearing off any glittery bits.

• Small electrical items such as fairy lights should be kept out of the black bin. They can be taken to one of Leicestershire County Council’s Recycling and Household Waste Sites.

Please note over Christmas domestic waste left next to your bin won't be collected. Instead everyone will receive at least one extra domestic waste collection in place of a garden waste collection. Please refer to your collection calendar for further information.

Recycling collections in windy weather

If you have a recycling collection during windy conditions, you can help us to keep your neighbourhood tidy by doing the following:

• Fasten the velcro lids on your yellow and blue bags
• Put a lid on your red box
• Try not to overfill your red boxes - squeezing and squashing your plastic, cans and tins can help
• If possible, don't stack your red boxes.

These things help to stop your recycling from escaping and littering your neighbourhood.

If you need a new red box and/or lid please order one online or call 01530 454545 to request one.

We are very grateful to our residents who help to clear up any escaped recycling.