Recycling news, updates and articles

Missed recycling collections in Ashby - Thursday 25 July

Unfortunately we have been unable to complete recycling collections today from the streets below in Ashby, due to vehicle breakdowns.

Cardboard and garden waste collections have not been affected.

If your street has been affected, please leave your red boxes, blue bags, textiles and batteries out for our return tomorrow, on Friday 26 July.

Please note that upon our return, paper will be collected in a separate vehicle to plastic/cans and glass, and therefore blue bags and red boxes may be collected at different times.

• Avenue Road
• Baker Avenue
• Bowker Crescent
• Brendon Way
• Bristol Avenue
• Chiltern Rise
• Cotswold Way
• Grange Close
• Griffith Gardens
• Lodge Close
• Lower Packington Road
• Measham Road
• Mendip Close
• Moreton Walk
• Musson Drive
• Park Close
• Pennine Way
• Ridgway Road
• Smedley Close
• Spinney Close
• Staley Avenue
• Stuart Way
• Tamworth Road
• Upper Packington Road
• Western Close
• Windsor Road
• Wrekin Close.

Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Missed collection of garden waste on New Street, Kegworth - Tuesday 23 July

Due to vehicles blocking access on New Street in Kegworth, we were unable to collect cardboard and garden waste on the morning of Tuesday 23 July.

We will collect cardboard in a smaller vehicle on the afternoon of Tuesday 23 July.

Please leave your garden waste bin out for collection as we will return to empty it on Wednesday 24 July.

Early recycling and waste collections in Kegworth - 16 and 23 July

Due to road surfacing works on Derby Road, High Street, Market Place and London Road from 15 to 26 July, we may collect recycling and waste earlier than usual in Kegworth.

If you live in Kegworth, please make sure your bins and recycling containers are put out before 6am on Tuesday 16 July and Tuesday 23 July, or the night before.

Recycling tips for a sustainable 'staycation'

As it gets warmer, a staycation is on the horizon for many of us. Why not make it a sustainable one?

Recycle Now have put together a handy article full of really useful tips to help you recycle more wherever you're planning to holiday in the UK. Take a look!

Renew or subscribe to the additional garden waste service

You can now sign up to the 2024-25 additional garden waste service.

We provide one garden waste bin free of charge, but if this isn't enough for your gardening needs, you can pay for as many extra bins as you like.

The charge for 2024/25 is £57 per extra bin. This covers the fortnightly emptying of an extra garden waste bin from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025.

Sign up or renew for 2024/25

2023-24 waste collection calendars 

Deliveries of the 2023-24 waste collection calendars took place throughout October and November.

What if I have not received my calendar?

You can check your collection dates and download a copy of your calendar online or by searching your postcode using the ‘My Location’ search box available throughout the website.

If you would like a printed copy of your calendar posting to you, please email us or call 01530 454545.

Bin crew staff needed

Can you work as a casual waste crew member?

• All training and equipment provided
• Must be fit and able to walk long distances
• £11.41 - £14.74 per hour (depending on role)

If you can fill one of these casual roles, please get in touch: mick.hughes@nwleicestershire.gov.uk

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.

Find out more about making a switch to reusable nappies.

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.

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.