Cotswold Waste Collection Service Change
 
The roll-out of Cotswold District Council's new waste and recycling service has begun in earnest.

People who live in and around the three villages of Birdlip, Cowley and Coberley will be the first in the District to use the new service, which includes:

· A new weekly collection of food waste for composting

· An optional charged-for weekly collection of garden waste for composting

· A new fortnightly collection of card and cardboard for recycling

· The continuation of the current fortnightly collection of paper, glass, cans and tins for recycling

· The collection of non-recyclable waste fortnightly in new grey wheeled bins or in new Council-supplied beige bin bags

New receptacles, including a 10-litre food waste container and a reusable blue sack for card and cardboard, are being delivered to householders in the area along with an information pack about the service and a calendar of collection dates.

Cllr Mark Tufnell, the Council's Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: "I'm delighted that the new service is about to begin.

"With the help of our residents, we predict we can cut the amount of waste we bury at landfill sites by nearly a quarter and increase our recycling rate to around 60%.

"The new service involves significant changes to the way in which everyone's waste will be collected but the overwhelming majority of our residents are enthusiastic recyclers and they understand why we simply cannot continue to dump most of our rubbish in huge holes in the ground."

Thousands of residents have already signed up for the new weekly collection of garden waste, which will cost £30 for an annual licence for a garden waste wheeled bin or £30 for a supply of 50 brown paper garden waste sacks.

The current free fortnightly collection of garden waste will stop when the new service is introduced. Anyone who has not yet indicated that they want to pay for the garden waste service can still do so by visiting www.cotswold.gov.uk/go/wastesurvey or by calling the Council's waste hotline on 01285 623 123.

Photo above features Cotswold District Council's Portfolio Holder for the Environment Cllr Mark Tufnell (back) pictured with Coberley residents and keen recyclers the Mattos family.