Bin collections in South Cambridgeshire will be 'simplified'

Paper caddies are getting the boot to make recycling easier and save the council money.

Changes to bin collections will simplify the kerbside collection of recycling materials for residents across South Cambridgeshire.

When the chages come into effect residents will place paper directly into their blue wheelie bins, eliminating the need for paper caddies.

It is expected the date of the change will be announced by the end of September.

Cllr Mark Howell, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet member for environmental services, said: “This change will make recycling more straightforward for residents and save money at the same time. It is win-win. Our teams will now be working on a plan for a smooth transition to the new way of collecting paper. Making sure local people know what is happening is vital, but I hope we can implement the change before Christmas as it will make life a little easier for everyone at a time of year when we always see the amount of recycling rise.

“Please continue to use the paper caddy at the moment as we will be collecting paper in this way for the time being. We have a brilliant recycling track record in the district and it is excellent news that the modelling we have done suggests this may even improve under the new simplified system. Paper mixed in with other recyclables in the blue bin will still sent on for re-processing by paper manufacturers.”

The council can now commit to purchasing a certain type of recycling truck that will cut down the miles covered by collections. They will be used for the next seven years.

Recycling paper in the main part of the blue bin rather than a paper caddy means that fewer trucks are now needed.

Trucks which collect dry recycling that is mixed together, rather than separated, do not need to have split bodies, and so can carry more materials. This means collection rounds will be completed without the need for vehicles to return to base and be emptied as often.

The change means vehicles will cover around 26,000 fewer miles per year on South Cambridgeshire’s roads than using a separate caddy. This will lower fuel costs and reduced CO2 emissions.

More information about the changes can be found by visiting www.scambs.gov.uk and clicking on the bins icon.