COUNCIL'S PLEA TO THE PUBLIC OVER HUGE INCREASE IN HOUSEHOLD RUBBISH

                                               

In this together - the sides of refuse trucks have been adorned with rainbow paintings

                     

A SURGE in household rubbish has been reported by North East Lincolnshire Council

Bin crews in are said to be collecting between 20 and 50 per cent more household waste and recycling than they usually do at this time of year.

More people are at home because of coronavirus lockdown and that means a lot more rubbish and recycling to pick up.

Crews are collecting a lot more glass jars and bottles than they usually do.

Says a council spokesman: "People are probably drinking a lot more coffee and tea while they are working at home.

"With pubs and bars closed, they are also drinking more alcohol, so there has been a surge in empty  beer and wine bottles.

"Crews have also seen a big increase in cardboard packaging as more people shop online."

Bin crews are taking the extra workload in good spirit, largely because they have been overwhelmed by the support from the support from the public.

Waste and street cleansing vehicles have been decorated with children’s rainbow drawings.

NELC urges households to play their part by breaking down cardboard to fit it into the blue box and flattening  plastic  tins bottles and tins for the orange box.

 Cllr Stewart Swinburn, NELC's portfolio holder for environment and transport comments: "Our lorries are filling up up much quicker and have to make more trips to the depot to unload."

The council has issued  tips on how householders can play their part:

1 Check www.nelincs.gov.uk/coronavirus regularly for updates on any changes to waste and recycling collections. Sign up to have updates sent directly at www.nelincs.gov.uk/COVID-19-notifications

2 Please make sure that all domestic waste is put in sealed bags first and that your green bin lid is firmly closed. Don’t leave extra bags of rubbish with your bin

3 We will collect up to five recycling boxes as long as they are presented correctly. Please don’t leave large cardboard boxes or other items that don’t fit inside the recycling boxes. Squash plastic bottles and tins to fit more in your orange box. Break down cardboard to fit in your blue box.

4 Minimise the amount of rubbish, recycling and food waste you produce. Every bit we can reduce will make a real difference to maintaining a good collection service for everyone. Find tips for reducing food waste at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com. Visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/recycling to find out what you can and can’t recycle.

5 Avoid having a big ‘clear-out’ while at home as this will only create more rubbish and recycling for our workers to collect. Bulky waste collections start again on 4 May for items such as furniture, white goods and mattresses. Book online at www.nelincs.gov.uk/BulkyWaste.

6 Check restrictions at the Community Recycling Centres before making an unnecessary journey. Only visit if it is absolutely necessary - store your waste and recycling at home if you can do it safely.

7 Park sensibly so our bin wagons can drive into your street. Many more people are at home, and parked cars may restrict access to bins for our collection crews, making their job more difficult and increasing the likelihood that bins cannot be emptied.

8 Don’t stop recycling. With the global economy disrupted, it’s more important than ever to recycle your paper, card, plastic, cans and glass to ensure that valuable resources are recycled and made into new products for people to buy.

9 All charity shops are now closed so please do not leave donations on their doorsteps. But remember charity shops will be very grateful for donations once the crisis is over.

10 Do not burn your waste at home. This creates air pollution that could harm people nearby who may already have breathing difficulties. There is also the danger that fires could get out of control. Fire services around the country are reporting an increase in callouts due to garden fires.

11 When putting out your waste and recycling containers, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re doing this as safely as possible:

12 Keep your distance when our workers are collecting your waste and recycling.

13 Disinfect your bag, bin, box and caddy handles again, before and after collection.

14  Wash your hands thoroughly after handling and disinfecting your bags, bins, boxes and caddies.

15 Put wipes, cloths, gloves, etc. used for cleaning your bags, bins, boxes and caddies into your non-recyclable waste bin or bag, as these can’t be recycled.

16 If you’re self-isolating and feeling unwell, double-bag your personal waste (such as tissues) and put aside for at least 72 hours (3 days) before putting them out for collection.

17 Do not put tissues into your recycling as they cannot be recycled.

18 Disinfect your bag, bin, box and caddy handles before and after you touch them.