Why do you ask for materials to be kept separate in collection boxes? Click here

Do I need to use carrier bags to keep recyclables separate Click here

What if I have too many recyclables to fit in a box? Click here

Can these be left for collection alongside boxes? Click here

Why not have dividers in boxes? Click here

Are lids provided for boxes? Click here

Why do you use boxes for recycling collections and not wheeled bins? Click here

Why aren't plastic bottles and cardboard collected at the kerbside for recycling throughout Somerset? Click here

What type of plastic can I recycle at my Recycling Centre? Click here

What do the recycling symbols on my packaging mean? Click here

Can you accept broken glass/panes of glass?

Please only put unbroken bottles and jars out with your recycling collection. Broken glass should be disposed of either in your wheeled bin or, well wrapped in newspaper (or similar), in your refuse bag. Panes of glass should be disposed of at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Can you accept shredded paper?

Yes, please place this in separate bags beside your kerbside box. Please also try to keep to a minimum as it takes up more space on collection vehicles.

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Can you accept window envelopes?

Yes, you may recycle window envelopes with your kerbside paper collection.

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It helps recycling collectors if materials are kept roughly separate in boxes, as different materials are hand-sorted into different cages, known as stillages, on collection vehicles. This kerbside sorting takes longer if materials are mixed together, which can add significantly to collection times over the working day, when hundreds of collections are made.

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Do I need to use carrier bags to keep recyclables separate?

This is one method, but carrier bags do not need to be used to keep materials separate in boxes. It will help collectors if different materials are simply kept separate by roughly grouping them together in the box.

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What if I have too many recyclables to fit in a box?

Can these be left for collection alongside boxes?

Extra materials that will not fit in your collection box can be left alongside and it is best to use a carrier bag or similar for this. Please DO NOT use black bags as these may be mistaken for rubbish. If you regularly have extra materials, please contact Customer Services at your local Council to ask for an additional box to be supplied.

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Dividers or separators are made for recycling boxes, but these are not used in Somerset because of the extra cost and because households produce varying quantities of different materials, so a divider will not work well for all. The extra cost of providing dividers could not be justified.

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We do not provide for boxes due to the extra cost of providing these for the 230,000 households in Somerset. If you keep your box outside, it does not matter if most materials get wet, although please avoid paper becoming very wet. Clothing and shoes must be kept dry and not put out if it is wet.

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There are a number of advantages to box systems over those using wheeled bins. In Somerset, materials are directly sorted from the boxes into separate compartments on collection vehicles. This system has lower costs and produces better quality materials for recycling than co-mingled collection systems using wheeled bins. This is because materials are kept separate from the point of collection and contamination can be left in the box, with a label attached, so that the resident is aware of the problem for future collections.
 
Wheeled bin systems require materials to be sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) before being sent for reprocessing, which typically have reject rates of 5-15%. At MRFs materials are passed over a series of conveyor belts and split into different streams using a combination of automatic mechanical separation and hand-picking. This is not necessary with kerbside sorting and therefore in Somerset we do not use a MRF. Materials from our kerbside recycling collections are simply bulked up in bays and then bulk-hauled to reprocessors, who pay higher prices due to the better quality of materials supplied.
 
Because materials are not mixed together in wheeled bins and collection vehicles, box systems are better able to handle glass, which also requires colour separation to achieve the best environmental benefits from recycling.

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Why aren't plastic bottles and cardboard collected at the kerbside for recycling throughout Somerset?

We operate a recycling collection system known as kerbside sorting in Somerset (also see above under why use boxes). This allows glass and food waste to be easily included among materials collected from households, but, because of the lack of compaction on the vehicle, it is not so well suited to light-weight materials such as plastics and cardboard.

During 2008/09 SWP undertook a series of collection trials covering 8,500 properties. Trials included weekly and fortnightly dry recycling collections using both single and two pass recycling collections using different vehicles including a 3-waysplit vehicle with a food pod and compaction chamber for plastic bottles and cardboard.

Following consultation Sedgemoor District Council and Taunton Deane Borough Council are rolling out the new service known as SORT IT PLUS throughout their administrative areas during 2009/2011. Other Somerset districts hope to follow this lead in future years when financial conditions are right to develop the infrastructure needed to include these materials.
 
For more information on the trials please click here.

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What type of plastic can be recycled at my Recycling Centre?

Please only recycle plastic bottles (without lids). We do not accept other types of plastic.

Within each material type there are many different grades of that material that may or may not be suitable to make into different products. This is why SWP asks for plastic bottles only, and not other items made of PET(E) or HDPE, even if they have a recycling symbol on them.

We will accept all types of plastic bottle (without the lid as it is a different grade of plastic) except those used for engine oil or for garden or DIY chemicals.  Examples of plastic bottles you can recycle include: washing up liquid bottles, shampoo bottles, squash bottles, sun cream bottles, milk bottles, ketchup bottles etc.

There are currently no reprocessors who will accept mixed plastic packaging for recycling in the UK, which is why we cannot currently accept other plastics such as margarine tubs, food packaging and yoghurt pots.  Although some food trays may be made of the same type of plastic as some bottles, they are made of a different grade of material, which means they cannot be recycled with bottles.

Plastic bottles are easily identifiable to householders, collectors and reprocessors, and are also less likely to be contaminated with food residues which reduce the quality of the recycled plastic.  It is important not to place anything other than plastic bottles into the recycling banks as high levels of contamination could result in the whole load being rejected by the reprocessors.

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What do the recycling symbols on my packaging mean?

Recycling symbols vary and show what broad type of material that has been used to make the packaging.

Within each material type there are many different grades of that material that may or may not be suitable to make into different products.

These symbols do not tell you how easy it is for these to be recycled or if you are likely to be able to do this locally.

New packaging symbols are being launched which will help to show how different parts of packaging can be recycled and how likely you will have access to services to do this at a national level.

“Widely Recycled” means 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.

“Check locally” means 15% - 65% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.

“Not recycled” means less than 15% of people have access to recycling facilities for these items.

For details on local services, please click on the following links:-

Kerbside Collections

Recycling Centres

Recycling Bring Banks

The Green Dot

The Green Dot does NOT necessarily mean that the packaging can be recycled. It is a symbol used on packaging in many European countries and signifies that the producer has made a contribution towards the recycling of packaging.

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