 All collection rounds completed
The problems with our waste collection vehicles caused by the cold weather have been resolved.
Our crews have picked up yesterday's outstanding collections and completed today's scheduled rounds.
We thank our residents for their understanding and cooperation, and our crews for their hard work in this difficult weather.
Did you know?
'Did you know?' is a new column of this newsletter, which aims to demystify different aspects about your waste and recycling.
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Do I need to remove caps on plastic milk bottles?
When recycling plastic milk bottles, keep the caps on.
Loose caps are too small to go through the sorting process at recycling plant, and so can't be recycled.
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 What's in the average blue rubbish bag?
The answer is - over half of what goes in the blue bags is recyclable.
According to a study by re3 on the blue bags collected in the borough, food waste is the biggest culprit.
Let's take a look at what's in the average blue bag:
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General rubbish (like nappies): 43%
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Food waste: 24%
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Paper, cardboard: 9%
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Soft plastics (like vegetable bags): 8%
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Reusable textile: 7%
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Glass bottles and jars: 5%
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Garden waste: 4%
We know most of our residents are already doing a great job in recycling (especially those who receive this newsletter), but we need everyone to play their part.
Disposing of recycling costs less than half that of general rubbish. That means recycling not only helps the environment, but it also saves money.
This is especially important now as like all local authorities, we're facing huge financial challenges to ensure vital services are protected and residents get the support they need to keep their families safe and well during these turbulent times.
 Donate your old running shoes
Did you know you can now donate your unwanted running shoes at our leisure centres managed by Places Leisure?
Places Leisure is partnering with JogOn to save running shoes by giving them a second chance. JogOn's mission is to remove one million shoes from landfill.
All you need to do is pop into one of the leisure centres in the borough and drop off your unwanted running shoes in the donation box there. Even if your shoes are no good to be reused – you can still donate them rather than letting them sit in landfill!
JogOn sorts, inspects the shoes collected and works with its partner to distribute them to 11 destinations around the world.
If they are not suitable to be used again, JogOn filters them out. They will then be shredded and incinerated for energy or used for resurfacing playgrounds.
You can also send your shoes to JogOn by post or courier. Check out the JogOn website for more information.
 Don't hire an unlicensed contractor
If you’re having a New Year clean-up or undergoing renovations, make sure you don’t end up with a fine for fly-tipping. You’re legally responsible if you hire an unlicensed contractor who dumps your waste on public or private land.
We’ve dealt with several recent cases including one in a car park in Wokingham town, which we had to pay to clean up. We’re trying to trace the culprits and will take action if we’re successful.
Fly tippers can be fined thousands of pounds in court – as can customers if they hire a trader who doesn't have a valid Waste Carrier's Licence. Do a quick check online before hiring. We could instead issue a fixed penalty notice of £300 or £400.
You can also consider using our large unwanted items collection service, which can be ordered online or by calling 0118 979 8298. It costs £58.10 for a collection of up to 5 items.
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