Collection day changes as part of improved recycling service launch

Article date: Monday 16 October

Beginning on Monday 6 November, the change is a result of a review of collection routes to improve their efficiency and reduce vehicle movements, accommodating new roads and houses built since the last review of routes, several years ago.

The changes will affect roughly half of the borough. All households will receive a tailored leaflet in advance explaining their new collection days. Leaflets will begin to arrive from Monday 16 October.

Residents can also check their new collection dates online from Monday 16 October at www.sthelens.gov.uk/recycling.

Residents should be aware that because of the collection rerouting, the typical time that crews reach their street could be earlier or later, so be sure to have your recycling and bins out for 6:30am.

The changes will also mean that a small number of households will go longer than usual between collections, but some residents will see a shorter gap between collections.

The collection day change follows the rollout of an enhanced bags and boxes system, with an improved lid to keep the contents dry and a heavier weight in the bottom to stop them from blowing away in the wind.

The new set of recycling bags includes a new green bag for cardboard recycling. The existing black box is now for glass bottles and jars only. There is no change to the blue bag (newspapers and magazines), white bag (plastic bottles and cans) or food waste caddies.

Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Climate Change, said:

"With our improved recycling service and its supporting strategy, we're aiming to make waste a thing of the past, looking at waste as a resource first - working together to reduce, reuse and recycle as much of our waste as possible.

"With this in mind, our enhanced kerbside sorted service is the most effective and efficient model. This method of collection generates high quality material that has a higher financial value and that can more easily be recycled.

"That means we can always say with confidence that what we collect for recycling will be recycled. When recycling is comingled in one bin, typically more than 20 per cent of materials cannot be recycled due to contamination. And with our bags and boxes collected weekly, residents have more than double the capacity that a regular sized wheelie bin would provide.

"And now with a review of collection routes, our recycling and waste service will be operating as efficiently and effectively as possible."

For more information about the changes to recycling and waste services, visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/servicechanges.