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Changes to Recycling and Refuse Collections
The Somerset Waste Partnership (1) has announced that collection day changes are being made in South Somerset in order to improve the efficiency of recycling and refuse collections. Leaflets with details of the new collection days will be delivered to all residents during March.
The changes start from the 31st March 2008 and will result in collections for refuse and recycling being on the same day. Recycling and food waste collections remain weekly and refuse fortnightly.
Explaining the new changes, Cllr Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, Chair of the Somerset Waste Partnership said:
“The changes are part of a wider review of improvements to waste collection services in Somerset, which will make the collections far more efficient and cost effective. Whilst we appreciate that the new collection days will affect people’s routine, the changes should make it much easier to remember, with collections picked up on the same day”.
Cllr Jo Roundell Greene, South Somerset District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment and Property said, “The changes will reorganise the collection rounds into geographical ‘zones’ so that collection crews are working in the same area on the same day. This will reduce costs and make maximum use of the collection vehicles. It will also enable any reported missed collections to be corrected as quickly as possible”.
For some residents, these changes may mean that the first refuse collections in the new cycle will be more than two weeks after the last collection in March. Therefore, the Somerset Waste Partnership will accept an extra sack of refuse on collections from 31st March to 11th April.
For a minority of households, the changes to collection days will cause a long gap of 21 days or more between refuse collections. To prevent this, the SWP will provide an additional collection to those in this situation, so that they do not have a long gap between collections. Letters, in addition to the standard leaflets, will be sent to all households affected with details of the additional collection being provided.
If residents do not receive a leaflet by the end of March, or have any queries, they are asked to contact South Somerset District Council’s Customer Services temporary waste helpline on 01935 461046.
From the 31st March, South Somerset residents can find out their new waste collection days online at www.southsomerset.gov.uk and clicking on the ‘Your Neighbourhood’ link.
For general information on recycling and waste in Somerset, including advice on how you can reduce the amount you create, log on to www.recyclesomerset.info
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
About the Somerset Waste Partnership:
1. The Somerset Waste Partnership provides waste and recycling services on behalf of Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset District Councils, Taunton Deane Borough Council and Somerset County Council.
Somerset is the first countywide area to combine waste services functions under a single Board. The new organisation will manage both recycling and refuse collection services for all 228,000 Somerset homes, aiming to increase recycling levels to 50% and beyond and to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Last year Somerset achieved a recycling rate of over 47% (2006/07) compared to a national rate of around 30%. In 2006/07 Somerset recycled 129,957 tonnes of household waste and landfilled 144,932 tonnes.
07 March 2008
For further details contact David Mansell
01823 625713
Email: david.mansell@somersetwaste.gov.uk
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