The Bradley Stoke Journal

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 »

Refuse and recycling collections in Bradley Stoke are running a whole week behind schedule as a result of the recent wintry weather.

South Gloucestershire Council says it has “temporarily suspended green bin collections to allow crews to concentrate on the black bin waste”.

The combined effect of the Christmas holiday and recent bad weather means that black bins that would normally have been emptied on Friday 8th January were in fact collected last Friday (15th January).

A notice posted on the Council’s website on Friday (15th January) reads:

“Today, most crews are collecting the black bin waste from Friday 8th January (which would normally have been collected on Monday 11th January  according to the revised holiday schedule but have been delayed by weather conditions).”

“In some areas we are running behind this schedule because the roads are too dangerous to access but in other areas we are beginning to catch up slowly. For this reason it is impossible for us to say with certainty when we will be able to get to any specific property.”

“The best advice we can give at the moment is to put your black bins out for collection according to the Christmas holiday schedule and we will get to you as soon as we possibly can. We are catching up but it is slow and variable progress.”

Dry recycling (green box) collections are also said to be running a whole week late.

The Council says it plans to start picking green bins up again in the week commencing Monday 25th January.

Householders are reminded that they may take waste to the Council’s Sort It! centres, the nearest being Little Stoke.

Related Link: Bradley Stoke Weather

Refuse and recycling collections in Bradley Stoke were cancelled on Friday, due to the severe weather conditions.

A notice posted on the South Gloucestershire Council website states that contractors SITA would be undertaking extra collections yesterday (Saturday), but no such collections are believed to have taken place.

The Council is asking residents to leave bins and containers out as normal and says they will be collected “as soon as possible”.

More Information: South Gloucestershire Council