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Environmental Services Newsletter
May 2026
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"Recycling is what we do when we are out of options to avoid, repair or re-use the product.
Firstly, reduce - don't buy what you don't need"
(Annie Leonard, author)
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Simpler Recycling
You may have heard about 'Simpler Recycling': the national initiative that standardises recycling collections across the country, helping to reduce confusion about what can be recycled.
For Maidstone residents, there will be very little change. The only significant update is that Tetra Pak cartons can now be placed in your household dry recycling bin.
All other parts of the recycling and food waste service remain unchanged.
As with all recycling, please ensure cartons are empty and placed loose in your recycling bin.
If you are unsure about how to recycle an item, please contact us at recycling@maidstone.gov.uk
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Garden Waste
Garden waste collections are a paid-for service.
We have now started sending out invoices for the service period up to June 2027.
Permits are issued in batches after payment has been received.
Please remember that every garden waste bin presented for collection must display a valid permit.
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Garden Bin - Contamination
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As we start to approach the summer months, your garden will be producing more garden waste. Your garden waste gets taken to a facility at Blaise Farm on the A228, where it is treated, and turned into compost.
In the past month, we have noticed an increase in contamination being reported by the crews, mainly in the form of soil, turf or hardcore waste.
There have also been reports of logs, tree stumps, pet bedding, soiled cat litter, and an occasional load of food waste!
These items cannot be disposed of in your garden bin and some do risk damaging vehicles.
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Please only put the following in your garden bin:
- Flowers and plants - shake off the soil stuck to the roots and reuse it on you garden.
- Grass cuttings - no turf please!
- Hedge trimmings and prunings
- Leaves and small branches - shouldn't be thicker than 3cm
- Weeds - again please shake off the excess soil.
Thank you.
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Quick Quiz
One full food waste caddy can save enough energy to:
1. Boil a kettle three times
2. Charge a tablet up to five times
3. Power an LED lightbulb for 24 hours
The answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
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Food Caddy Data Download
This month, we are looking at data collected from our recycling and waste service, focusing on food caddy deliveries to residents during the year ending March 2026.
The chart shows the number of food caddy starter packs and individual 23‑litre food caddies delivered to Maidstone residents by our contractor between April 2025 to March 2026:
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Key facts
- A total of 7,191 deliveries were made across the year.
- This averages around 600 deliveries per month.
- July 2025 was the busiest month, with 756 deliveries.
- November had the lowest number of deliveries, with 445.
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Food caddy replacement
Maidstone Borough Council will replace your 23-litre black and orange food caddy free of charge if lost or damaged.
Please request a replacement using the website.
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No Mow May
No Mow May is an annual campaign, led by Plantlife, encouraging gardeners to avoid mowing their lawns during May to support biodiversity. This often leads to more people maintaining part of their garden as a permanent wildflower area.
Key benefits include providing vital nectar for pollinators such as bees and butterflies, creating habitats for wildlife, increasing carbon capture in the soil, and strengthening grass root systems to improve resilience to drought.
MBC encourages residents to take part. Across its own land, the Council supports this approach to grounds maintenance and has wider policies in place to enhance biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife. These include:
- Retaining wood from essential tree works within park areas
- Dedicating up to 20% of land to wildflower growth
- Planting hundreds of trees each year
A quick question, how many trees do you think there are, in Mote Park ?
1. 6,700 2. 11,500 3. 30,000
Answer at bottom of the newsletter
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We have been asked, can you recycle this? |
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Pill blister packs
Unfortunately, pill blister packs cannot be recycled through Maidstone’s recycling service.
Some specialist recyclers accept them, and certain pharmacies offer collection schemes. Please check locally for any options available.
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Shredded paper
Yes, shredded paper can be recycled.
To help with processing:
- Shred only what is necessary.
- Place shredded paper inside an envelope or small cardboard box before putting it in your recycling bin.
This prevents it from spreading during sorting.
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Community Groups and Recycling Talks
Are you a member of a coffee group, lunch club or other community group?
Our Maidstone Borough Council Waste Management Team would be happy to visit and explain how recycling works in the borough, while answering your questions about waste services.
We are now taking bookings from September.
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Allington Household Waste Recycling Centre
Reuse Shop
The Reuse Shop at Allington Household Waste Recycling Centre opened in September 2025 and supports local causes across Kent.
Items donated to the shop are reused, helping to reduce waste while providing affordable goods to the community.
The shop is open every day, and no booking is required to visit.
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And the Quiz Answers are.
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1. Food caddy
The correct answer is all of them.
This information is based on data from WRAP website, for more infromation on food waste reduction see below.
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2. Mote Park
There are over 30,000 trees in Mote Park.
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Look out, for Shake it out!
Advance notice for our newsletter readers, this sticker is heading to recycling bins around the borough.
We are encouraging everyone, to leave their dry mix recycling loose in the bin.
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If you have any questions, or if you have a recycling or waste subject that you would like us to cover,
please get in touch.
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Thank you for reading our Environmental Services update
If you enjoyed reading this month's newsletter, please forward to friends and family, so they can sign up as well.
Other newsletters from Maidstone Borough Council include:
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
Planning – updates on recent planning decisions
Maidstone Museum - news, updates and events from Maidstone Museum
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