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Our last newsletter raised the issue of 'contamination' - since then, we have received some very interesting questions.
This month's newsletter is a special
“you asked and we’ve answered”
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Who rejects the loads?
All waste and recycling must go to a site licensed by the Environment Agency to accept specific materials, i.e. garden waste, food waste, residual waste or mixed recycling. If the material that we deliver to that facility does not meet the input standard specified on their license, the site will reject it.
What are we doing about contamination?
Advising residents that recycling correctly is very important in helping to reduce contamination in our green bins. We are also highlighting the really big contamination problems, which are nappies, black bags of waste and food in the green bin.
Collection crews are trained and encouraged to check recycling bins and to not empty bins where the contents are contaminated.
We are also checking loads as they come out of each lorry, that way we can identify where the material has been collected from and target additional information to residents in those areas.
Why don’t you collect in one bin and sort it out later?
There is no licensed facility nearby to Maidstone to accept this mixed material. In addition, the cost of sorting, and the reduction in value of the recyclables, would result in a huge additional cost to the taxpayer and serious environmental damage.
The alternate wheeled bin collection system is used by councils across the country. This is the industry standard and provides the best balance, as it allows and encourages residents to recycle, whilst managing the overall cost of the services.
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Why does contamination
cost so much?
If the material is so contaminated that it can’t be sorted and recycled, it has to be disposed of as waste. The cost is for the additional transport to a licensed disposal facility and the gate fee to use that facility, charged for every tonne rejected.
Why do we not rely on the manufacturers?
The manufacturers design and sell products in packaging in local shops, some of the packaging used may or may not be recyclable. Our website and
other information clearly states the
type of product / material
that we can recycle.
We can not collect other materials in the recycling bin as the sorting facility does not want them.
We promote what the sorting facility can accept rather than what it can’t.
Visit www.maidstone.gov.uk/mybin
for more information about what you
CAN put in your green recycling bin.
What’s the best thing I can do?
Start using the food waste
collection service.
The food waste material is removed from your property every week. You will notice a reduction in use of your black bin and it will smell more pleasant.
You can also save money as you begin to realise how much food you have been throwing away.
Please note: The food waste service generates a lot of questions, so we will be publishing a food waste special in the next newsletter – watch this space.
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Have rejections increased or
decreased since the September Newsletter?
In September, we saw a reduction in the tonnage rejected.
Thank you - Let's keep reducing contamination in Maidstone!
We are here to help, any questions about household waste and
recycling services in Maidstone, please contact us at
recycling@maidstone.gov.uk
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 If you need help or support on paying your bills, recycling, housing, utility savings
or the cost of living then come along for free advice.
Friendly experts will be on hand to offer you help and information you may need.
Come and have a chat and grab a free cuppa too.
Thursday 12 October, 10am-3pm - Headcorn Village Hall
Thursday 19 October, 10am-3pm - Trinity, Maidstone Town Centre
Wednesday 25 October, 10am-3pm - Bearsted WI Hall
Organisations offering help include:
MBC Welfare Teams: Housing, Revenue & Benefits, Council Tax, Community Protection, Waste Services & Climate Change.
Local Partner Organisations: Involve, South East Water, Bearsted CAN, KCC Digital Kent, KCC Community Wardens, Citizen Advice Bureau, MIND and DDM Health.
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 Get involved in Recycle Week, the largest national annual recycling campaign
This year’s theme – 'The Big Recycling Hunt' – focuses on missed capture: the items that can be recycled but are commonly missed in the home.
Save the date!
16-22 October 2023
Recycle Now is leading a nationwide hunt to find the things we should recycle. Get ready to join The Big Recycling Hunt and make a BIG difference.
Our busy lives are full of things we could (and really should) recycle. And now more and more of us are hunting them out. So, whether you recycle what you can, you’re just trying your best or think you could recycle more, this Recycle Week (and the days that follow), let’s keep an eye out for the things we can recycle and work a little harder to recycle more of them, more often.
Follow us on Maidstone Borough Council social media platforms during Recycle Week and join the #BigRecyclingHunt to discover what else you could
recycle around your home.
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Thanks for reading our Environmental Services update. Why not sign up to our other newsletters to find out more about what’s going on across Maidstone Borough.
Climate Change and Biodiversity – everything to do with sustainability
What’s On in Maidstone – for all events
News – to keep up to date
Consultations – share your views
Visit Maidstone – the best places to visit and stay
Business in Maidstone – workshops, events and business support
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If you have any tips about recycling and how to minimise waste which others could use please let us know by emailing us at climateandbiodiversity@maidstone.gov.uk
If you have enjoyed reading our Environmental Services update, why not forward this email onto your friends and family so they can 'Stay Connected' to news from Maidstone Borough Council.
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