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Sorted!
Residents' waste
newsletter
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The Easter weekend will soon be upon us (Friday 29, March – Monday 1, April). With the bank holiday weekend bringing changes to your waste collection schedule.
There won’t be any collections on Friday, 29 March - waste will be collected on Saturday, 30 March.
There will also be no collections on Monday, 1 April and all collections will be a day later this week, including collections on Saturday, 6 April for those with a Friday collection.
...And don’t forget the clocks will also spring forward on Sunday, 31 March!
We’re now three weeks into the new routes for households in the west of the county. It’s been a big change but we’re delighted to see that most people had put their bins and boxes out on the correct days.
We know it hasn’t been perfect for everyone, and we thank you for bearing with us during the switchover. We’ve had extra crews out and about to help with any missed collections.
If you still need extra help – or are looking for a copy of your service guide and calendar (currently only available for residents in the west of Somerset) you can follow these links for useful information.
Do you live in the former Sedgemoor and South Somerset districts?
We will contact you in the next few months about changes beginning in June – look out for your letter in May.
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We’re once again supporting Love Food Hate Waste’s, Food Waste Action Week campaign from 18-24 March.
This year, we are encouraging you to, “Choose What You’ll Use” by buying your fruit and vegetables loose instead of packaged. Research from Love Food Hate Waste has shown that we could reduce food waste by 60,000 tonnes just by buying loose fruit and veg!
Sometimes we are in the mood for a huge potato, and sometimes we just need one carrot for our spag bol. Why let the rest go to waste? Choose loose and you don’t have to.
Alongside this national campaign we’re working closely with the network of Somerset food pantries, helping their members to store food to help it stay fresh for longer, by giving local pantries fridge thermometers.
Did you know that when our fridges are the correct temperature our food stays fresh for two to three days longer? Your fridge is perfectly chilled when its 1-3°c!
We’ve given repair and reuse a boost with the launch of a new Community Action Groups (CAG) network – launching to the public on Saturday (9 March) in Shepton Mallet.
The team invite Somerset residents to join their celebration and find out how they can help people across the county get involved in repair and reuse.
The launch will be hosted by CAG Somerset and Shepton Mallet Repair Café (in the Art Bank, 13 High Street, Shepton Mallet BA4 5AA) from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
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We’re often asked why we don’t collect recycling in one big bin of mixed materials.
There are several reasons why we have a kerbside sort system in Somerset:
- It helps us recycle more and recycle closer to home – it has been shown to produce better sorted recycling with less ‘contamination’ by other materials.
- These materials are more in demand from UK re-processors and more valuable. Our Recycling Tracker shows how this helps keep more than 96% of our recycling in the UK.
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It saves carbon – there is no need for the very heavy carbon footprint of an energy-hungry material recycling facility.
- It is financially better – we get a better price for the recycling we sell to re-processors and do not have the significant extra costs of running a material recycling facility and supplying 260,000 plus wheeled bins. This helps us keep our costs down.
Our recycling rate is in the top 20% of local authorities in England (at 56%) – and that’s thanks to you and your commitment to recycling.
Last month more than 75 people joined us as we visited five libraries to chat all things reusable personal care products, including: reusable nappies, period and continence products.
Working with colleagues from Suez Recycling and Recovery, library and public health teams, as well as Dorset-based reusable period products company; Moonie, our team brought an array of products to libraries so people could have a closer look at what is available without the pressure of having to purchase.
Our teams loved hearing from residents, with some sharing their thoughts and experiences of these products. Many people hadn’t considered the switch before – but were going to try out products for themselves or share information with family members.
Did you know that absorbent hygiene products, including single-use continence and period products make up about 2.5% of Somerset’s rubbish bins – and nappies make up a further 11%?
Switching to reusables not only reduces rubbish, but it cuts plastic waste and are often cheaper compared to buying single use items.
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 Are you passionate about the environment? Do you dream of a greener, more sustainable world? Introducing the council’s monthly e-newsletter SEEN – Somerset’s Environmental and Ecological News.
Every month, we share inspiring stories, practical eco tips, and updates on local climate initiatives. From community schemes to council-led projects, SEEN keeps you informed and motivated.
Sign up today and be part of the change. Together, we can create a greener, more sustainable Somerset.
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