 Update on street cleansing and ground maintenance
We'll be launching a consultation next month to seek your views on how changes to street cleansing and other ground maintenance work should be made.
Due to the triple threat of rampant inflation, increasing needs in the community and continued low funding from central government, we're planning changes to make much-needed savings, so we can keep protecting those who need us most.
These proposed changes affect litter bins, grass cutting, street sweeping, weed spraying and tidying of areas around bottle banks.
We've been working hard to reduce costs and be more efficient to cope with the rising cost of providing statutory care to residents. However, as our financial pressures continue to rise, there's less money available for things like emptying litter bins and cutting grass.
 Did you know?
Can I recycle coffee pods at recycling centres?
Yes. You can now drop your aluminium or plastic coffee pods in the dedicated Podback collection containers on your next visit to re3 recycling centes in Reading and Bracknell.
Remember - only put coffee pods into the containers, and don't include any product packaging or bags (including Podback recycling bags).
 Recycle unwanted cooking oil
Our waste collection crews have recently reported incidents of cooking oil spillage from our blue bags.
Used cooking oil can easily be recycled at the kerbside. All you need to do is to put it in a sealed plastic bottle and leave it out for collection in your black food waste bin.
This helps stop litter and oil spills, and is great for the environment as well. The oil we collect, together with other food waste, is turned into energy to power homes and fertilisers for farmers' fields.
For a complete list of food waste we collect, visit our website.
 Freeze food before your summer break
If you'll be on holiday soon but still have some food left in the fridge, freeze it before going away. A lot of food can be frozen before its use-by date, so it doesn't need to end up in your bin. For example:
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Cheese - grate it first and then store it in a ziplock bag or freeze small cubes wrapped tightly in cling film
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Milk - put the milk in a container with some room when freezing it, as it will expand slightly when frozen
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Potatoes - freeze all kinds of cooked or partially cooked potatoes from mash to roasties. You can cook them from frozen later
- Cooked pasta - slightly under-cooked pasta is best for freezing. Before freezing, let it cool a little and drizzle it with olive oil to stop it from sticking together
- Chopped up chillies and herbs - seal in a clip lock box to avoid frostbite. Note some herbs like basil, chives and parsley don’t freeze well as they will turn brown in the freezer
Visit the Hubbub website for more on how to freeze other food like eggs, vegetables, cooked rice, butter and some general tips for freezing food safely.
 Fix your broken items at repair café
The next Spencers Wood Repair Café will be held on Sunday 6 August, from 10am to 1pm, at the Spencers Wood Village Hall (RG7 1AP).
If you have any broken household items, bring them along and the expert volunteers will try their best to fix them or offer advice on what can be done to get them up and running again.
The repair service is free, but donations are welcome.
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