The Bradley Stoke Journal

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) is now making it even easier for people to recycle their cardboard waste by providing local residents with a free bag.

According to information on the SGC website, the bags are now available for collection from Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and Bradley Stoke Library on a “one per household, first come, first served basis whilst stocks last”.

Executive Member for Communities, Cllr James Hunt said:

“We have listened to the views of residents who are keen to recycle as much cardboard as possible and these bags will help us to increase the amount of cardboard that is recycled, reduce contamination of the green bin and make the streets tidier.”

“We are aware that some residents do not want additional containers therefore cardboard presented neatly at the kerbside in other containers will continue to be collected as normal.”

Cardboard is no longer collected from the green wheeled bin as it is now being recycled, rather than composted down with garden waste, allowing it to be used again and again, which is more environmentally friendly – according to the Council.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed news that South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) is to think again about its revamped cardboard recycling collections.

Since November, local residents have no longer been able to put cardboard in their green wheelie bin, instead being asked to put it all inside a larger cardboard box or place it under another bin.

Speaking after a meeting at which the Conservative-run Council said it was “looking again” at arrangements for collecting cardboard, Bradley Stoke Lib Dem Councillor Jon Williams said:

“On a windy day, cardboard put out by the road gets blown all over the place, making a terrible mess. People are getting fed up and putting their cardboard in the black bin instead, which means it will end up in landfill. This is no way to encourage recycling.”

Bradley Stoke Lib Dems’ latest Focus newspaper contains more criticism of the new recycling collections, claiming that on a ‘green bin day’, residents watch no fewer than three different vans turn up – one for the green bin, one for food waste and cardboard and a third for the green box (containing paper, glass, tins and more). Other areas manage with fewer vehicles, they say.

Read more: Labour Councillors criticise plastic collections »

But have you received your new bins and recycling bags?

South Gloucestershire Council’s new kerbside recycling collection service for plastic bottles and food waste begins next week (Monday 22nd November) but not all households have received their new bins.

A package of two grey bins for food waste and a white bag for plastic bottles should have been delivered to all homes in the area (except flats, which will not initially receive the new services) but residents in some streets of Bradley Stoke say they don’t yet have the new containers.

A recorded message on the Council’s StreetCare hotline (01454 868000) was last week advising residents not to be concerned as deliveries of the new bins would continue over the weekend (Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st November).

The Council also says that “supplier problems” with the white recycling bags may mean they are not available in time for the first collections.

Read on to find out more about the new recycling collection schedule »

Bin collections days are to change soon for many streets in Bradley Stoke as part of a package of measures designed to improve recycling rates.

About 43,000 households in South Gloucestershire are to to see their rubbish and recycling schedules change during the last week of September.

The changes are being made in preparation for the introduction of weekly food waste collections and fortnightly plastic bottle collections, planned for November.

South Gloucestershire Council (SGP) says:

“If your household is affected, you will be notified with a bin hanger on the black wheeled bin, or by information posted through your letterbox, that will inform you of your new collection arrangements.”

You can also check your next black bin collection on the Local Connections page of the SGP website.

More: Extra waste to be collected in first week after changeover »

The local group of the Freecycle Network is the latest organisation to feature in The Journal’s Community Showcase section.

The worldwide Freecycle Network is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It’s a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

Freecycle groups match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them. The goal is to keep usable items out of landfills.

The Filton-Patchway and Stokes Freecycle group has over 700 members and was founded just over three years ago.

The group is free to join, free to use and every item offered/given must also be free!

Read more about the group in our Community Showcase section.