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Wheeled bins - Frequently asked questions

Household waste

What do we mean by household waste?

Household waste is usually anything you throw away that cannot be recycled.

It does not include:

• Material that can be recycled or composted through the kerbside collection services or local recycling facilities.
• Garden waste
• parts from motor vehicles
• construction waste
• clinical waste
• paint
• oil
• electrical or electronic equipment
• bulky household items
• garden chemicals

What do we do with other waste?

Garden waste. Compost it at home, use the optional kerbside collection service or take it to your nearest Household Waste Recycling centre.

Clinical waste. You may qualify for a free collection service. Please contact us for details.

We also provide a chargeable bulky household waste collection service (furniture, fridges, freezers, cookers, washing machines etc and waste electrical or electronic equipment).

Fluorescent light tubes and low energy bulbs can be taken to your nearest  Household Waste Recycling centre for recycling.

All other waste can be taken to your nearest  Household Waste Recycling centre.

Why wheeled bins?

Plastic wheeled bins have been in use in the UK for well over 20 years. There are more households using wheeled bins than any other container.

They are easy to handle and provide most householders with the best means of storing and moving waste. They also prevent vermin getting to your waste.

Providing the lid is closed, waste is properly contained with no spillage or littering as there can be with torn bags. Wheeled bins are also much safer for the refuse collectors to move and empty.

My property is not suitable for wheeled bins!

Following a survey of most properties in the district we have drawn up a list of those households where we think it would be difficult or impractical to use wheeled bins. If yours is one of the households on the list we will be writing to you to let you know of the alternative arrangements.

I don’t want a wheeled bin!

We urge you to try it and find out how easy it is to use. With the exception of properties that we have identified as being unsuitable, 180 litre bins will be delivered to all properties. Even if you just keep it in your garden or yard to store your waste prior to collection that’s OK. We are confident that you will get used to it. However, if after trying it, you still have concerns, such as the impact on a small front garden space, please contact us.

Is the 180 litre bin the only size available?

The 180 litre bin holds the same as three normal waste sacks. If you find that the 180 litre bin is not big enough you can put your excess waste in black sacks next to your bin. Please make sure you take out all recyclable material.

You can contact us for help or advice on how you can recycle or compost more of your waste. If you are regularly leaving out extra waste for collection, we may contact you to discuss how you can minimise your non-recyclable waste.

A limited number of smaller, 120 litre bins will be available towards the end of this year for those who are infirm or disabled and cannot manage a 180 litre bin. Applications for these will be considered at the end of the year. Each household’s circumstances will be carefully assessed to ensure a fair distribution.

Why will identity ‘chips’ be fitted to the wheeled bins?

Three of our sixteen refuse collection vehicles will have equipment that can read this identity chip. These three vehicles will also be able to weigh each bin.

The bins are an asset worth over £1.5m and we need to know where they have been delivered, and if they have been exchanged or damaged. Recording this information electronically is much more efficient than using manual systems.

The government sets councils tough targets to reduce waste and increase recycling. Collecting data electronically helps us to tailor our information and support to where they will be most effective. We understand the concerns of those who think this is purely linked with enforcement or getting ready for ’pay as you throw’ schemes. We cannot influence what the government will do about charging. However, the present council administration will not introduce further charges.

How big are the wheeled bins?

Image showing sizes of wheelie bins 22kb