October 4, 2021 5.15 pm This story is over 29 months old

First North Kesteven purple bins collections recycle 400 tonnes of paper and card

Most people used the new bins correctly
North Kesteven District Council's bin team collected around 1,000 tonnes of recyclable dry paper and cardboard in the first collections back in 2021. | Photo: NKDC
By Local Democracy Reporter

North Kesteven District Council has praised the “fantastic” efforts of residents after 98.5% of new purple-lidded bins were correctly filled and emptied.

The first collections of the new purple-lidded dry paper and card recycling bins took place on the week commencing Monday, September 27, a month after they were rolled out across North Kesteven.

Across the week a total of 419 tonnes of quality paper and cardboard were collected in the district, the equivalent of the weight of 33 London buses.

It has gone straight to the papermill to be recycled after 98.5% of bins presented across that week contained the right items and could be correctly emptied.

The new purple-lidded bins will hold dry paper and card. | Photo: Boston Borough Council

The purple bins were introduced in order to recycle paper and cardboard more regularly, as when mixed with other recycling items it can absorb residue and become unusable.

After the first week of collections, North Kesteven District Council has said it resulted in the most high quality, clean and dry paper and cardboard ever collected in the area.

The new bin will be the fourth in North Kesteven households. | Photo: NKDC

If any items that are not supposed to go into the purple bins were spotted during collections, waste collectors placed a tag on the bin lid to remind people what can be put in their bins.

The main cause for this was placing shredded paper, takeaway boxes or tissue and kitchen roll in the purple bin; all of which cannot be accepted.

Read more about what can and can’t go in the purple bins here.

NKDC has issued a Right Thing Right Bin leaflet which shows you which waste is suitable for which recycling bin, as well as an A-Z of recycling for you to look up individual items.

Council Leader Cllr Richard Wright said: “This is a fantastic result and testament to everyone who has not only adjusted to the new purple-lidded bin, or continued great use of their purple bin if they already had one in our trial, but is taking great care to ensure only clean and dry paper and cardboard goes in.

“Paper and cardboard can be recycled several times if kept in good condition, which means everyone’s efforts to keep separating it into their purple-lidded or purple bins will create a wave of positive impact that multiplies and grows as time goes on. I hope everyone in North Kesteven can feel proud of this and the action on climate change it represents.

“We can keep building on this success together, by ensuring any damp, dirty or shredded paper and cardboard goes in the black bin only, not purple or green-lidded. We need now to also tackle the problem of contamination in green-lidded recycling bins which has been increasing in Lincolnshire over recent years.”