Some households in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge are to get a one-off, extra Saturday rubbish collection on 26th February or 5th March, to make sure they do not go more than three weeks between rubbish collections as new recycling service starts.
Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) says that if this applies to you, it will be made clear on the cover of a leaflet posted through your door in coming days.
Around 7,000 homes will get the extra Saturday 26th February collection, including some households in Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge, Middlezoy, Othery, Westonzoyland.
And another 5,000 homes will get the extra 5th March collection including some (not all) households in Highbridge, West Huntspill, Cannington, Cheddar and Shipham.
The news comes as SWP says around 35,000 Bright Blue Bags have been delivered across Sedgemoor and West Somerset ahead of the launch of the new Recycle More service.
A similar number are scheduled for delivery this week as prepares to introduce the expanded recycling collections from the end of February.
If your bag has not arrived yet, SWP asks for your patience as its teams work their way across the area following recycling crews.
Bags will be delivered throughout this week and into next week if needed, with stickers applied to recycling boxes at the same time to show what goes where with the new service.
Recycle More launches from Monday 28th February, adding extra items to weekly recycling collections. General rubbish collections will become once every three weeks.
SWP asks residents not to put the Bright Blue Bags out for collection until your first new collection day. This is made clear in residents’ ‘Recycle More is coming soon’ leaflet – on the cover and in the all-important collection day calendar.
The calendar shows your recycling and rubbish collections for the next 12 months. Two-thirds of homes will have a change of day, so it is important to check and hold on to it for future reference.
Recycle More adds the following to weekly collections: plastic pots, tubs and trays; food and drink cartons, small household electrical items and batteries.
What goes into which container will change:
- Green box – glass bottles and jars, and cartons (including Tetra Pak)
- Black box – paper and card
- Brown food waste bin – all food waste
The Bright Blue Bag should be used for:
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (rinsed and squashed/nested)
- Tins and cans (rinsed and crushed if safe to do so)
- Aerosols (empty)
- Foil (rinsed)
With Recycle More, SWP will also improve recycling for homes with shared or communal collections, for example blocks of flats and homes of multiple occupancy.
These improvements are scheduled for late June or early July, though what is possible will depend on space and access at each site.
Visit somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycle-more for more information. Extra guidance and support can be requested using a form on this page, or by calling your district council.
