LETTER: Trying to make recycling and rubbish collection more efficient

We ask residents to only put out their recycling bins when they are half full or more. This applies to the brown bins for plastic bottles, glass and cans, and the green bins some residents have for their garden waste.

The reason for this is to help us make our recycling vehicle rounds more efficient. Only emptying recycling bins that are more than half full means our crews will collect fewer bins each day. As a result, we save on fuel costs and reduce the council’s carbon footprint.

By not putting out their recycling bins every fortnight, residents won’t get into any trouble for not recycling or lose their fortnightly collections.

But I want to reassure readers they can put out their grey refuse bins every fortnight on their regular collection day if they need to, and we will continue to empty them even when they are less than half full.

I’d like to finish by saying thank you to the majority of residents who recycle as much as they can at home. It is down to them that Pendle now recycles 38% of its waste.

PHILIP MOUSDALE

Executive Director, Environmental and Recreation Services