Garden waste suspension
From Monday 4 October to Friday 29 October, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend the garden waste service. This is due to the national shortage of HGV drivers impacting our waste collection contractor Veolia.
We are working closely with Veolia to minimise disruption as much as possible and are prioritising the collection of food waste, rubbish and recycling for the coming month.
We appreciate you have paid for this additional service so we will be automatically extending the service by four weeks at the end of the current contract from 1 May to 29 May 2022 to make up for the next two collections.
For more information about how your service will be affected, please visit our news webpage.
Black boxes will no longer be collected
From Monday 1 November, recycling will no longer be collected from the old black boxes. The council and its contractor Veolia will only be collecting recycling from the sealed green waterproof recycling bags after this date.
The new waterproof recycling bags have replaced the old open black boxes so that the recycling materials will stay dry, which means that more of the materials can be recycled. The new bags should be fully sealed to keep the contents dry.
Residents using the black boxes from Monday 4 October will have a sticker placed on their boxes notifying them of the change, to ensure no one has their collection missed following a four week grace period.
For more information, visit our news webpage.
What to do with your black boxes
Repurpose: The council has heard from many residents repurposing their black boxes in unique and practical ways such as: storage for items, growing plants or vegetables, shelter for wildlife or donating to family, friends, neighbours, or anyone who wants it.
Rehome: Another alternative is rehoming the black boxes to people that may like more. If you haven’t found a use for yours, join the Facebook group ‘Wokingham Borough black box rehoming hub’ and connect with schools, companies, nurseries, or anyone else that may need some. This way those who want to reuse them can have access to more.
Recycle: If residents can’t find a way to reuse or repurpose their black boxes, the re3 recycling centres are now able to recycle rigid plastic. All the materials are recycled in European and UK markets in pipelines, cars, construction and furniture materials. You can book your click & tip slot via the re3 webpage.
Recycle your small electricals
Did you know a massive 75% of all materials in your old electrical items can be recycled and turned into useful things like life-saving equipment, children’s playground, and even new electricals?
Small, old electricals are one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the UK and in the world with 50 million tonnes of electrical waste thrown away annually across the globe, and that is set to triple by 2050. The total number of cables hoarded in UK homes (140 million) could circle the earth more than 5 times.
To find out more about how you can help by recycling your electricals, visit the re3 webpage.
What happens to your recycling?
Recycling saves money, benefits the environment, helps the economy and creates jobs. Around 70% of the rubbish that we throw away can be recycled – much of this, at home, through your kerbside recycling collection.
Making products out of recycled, rather than raw, materials uses considerably less energy. It also means that energy does not need to be used to extract and transport raw materials. Using less energy also means that we release less greenhouse gases into the environment, helping us to reduce the impact of global warming.
Visit the re3 webpage where they explain what happens to everyday household items such as plastic bottles, tin cans, plastic packaging, cardboard and paper, and want they can be made into.
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