November 30, 2021 2.46 pm This story is over 28 months old

Third purple bin collection in North Kesteven brings best results yet

Virtually all bins collected were in order
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

After the first two purple-lidded bin collections in North Kesteven, 99.5% of dry paper and cardboard has been collected this month too.

Collections for the new dry paper and cardboard bins, on the week of November 22, saw 99.5% of purple bins presented correctly and emptied by waste workers. This equates to 340 tonnes of perfect quality paper and cardboard being recycled.

It is the third collection since the bins were rolled out across the North Kesteven district in September, and these latest figures continue the good start for the purple bins in the area.

In the first collection on the week of September 27, 98.5% of bins were correctly filled and emptied, and in the second collection a month later, that figure went above 99%.

North Kesteven District Council has said that there is not only a marked improvement in recycling quality of paper and cardboard, but also in green-lidded recycling items as a result of the fourth bin.

North Kesteven District Council Leader, Councillor Richard Wright. | Photo: Chris Vaughan Photography for NKDC

Council Leader Councillor Richard Wright said: “We are seeing fantastic figures like these only because residents in North Kesteven are absolutely doing their
best to help the environment by putting the right thing in the right bin. I can’t thank everyone enough for all their efforts.

“It takes far less energy and water to recycle paper and cardboard than to cut down trees and make it brand new from wood, so only putting the right things in your purple or purple-lidded bin really does help.”

However, the council has urged people to continue being mindful of what can and cannot go in the green bins, claiming that soft plastics such as carrier bags, food wrappers and crisp packets cannot be recycled on your kerbside at home.

Green bins were left with ‘tags of shame’. | Photos: Darren Cook and James Stout

It comes a month after the infamous ‘tags of shame‘ started being placed on green bins in North Kesteven, pointing out which items in the bin have “contaminated” the other recyclable goods, meaning waste workers cannot accept and empty it.

Cllr Wright added: “We’ve also seen an amazing change in the quality of green-lidded recycling thanks to our residents, who are ensuring more can be recycled than before by putting only the right things in these bins. We each really can make a difference by doing this.

“The biggest challenge when talking about green-lidded bins understandably continues to be soft plastics – that’s carrier bags, food wrappers, crisp packets, bin bags, bread bags and so on.

“These can’t be recycled from your kerbside at home but should instead go to soft plastic collection points in shops and supermarkets or if not, in the black bin only to be made into electricity. Cardboard takeaway packaging also cannot be recycled and must go in the black bin only.”