Kerbside Recycling Collection

Recycling Collections

In order to comply with the EU Landfill Directive, the UK must 'recover' 45% of its municipal waste (including 30% recyling/composting) by 2010 and 67% (33% by recycling/composting) by 2015. For us to reach these targets locally, we consider recycling and waste minimisation to be a long-term programme with residents, businesses and the Wyre Forest District Council all working together.

The Government has set us, as a district, a target to divert 20% of recyclable waste from landfill - thanks to you, our residents, last year we achieved a rate of over 28% in the Wyre Forest district.

We are pleased to now be able to provide recycling collection services to over 99% of Wyre Forest households from kerbside collections and 'bring bank' micro-site facilities. Whilst we try to do all we can to help people to recycle, it is up to our residents to carry out these practices to ensure continuation of recycling success.

Last year, our crews collected over 10,000 tonnes of recyclable material - to put this into perspective, just one tonne would fill up the equivalent of an average sized garage.

People will always produce waste - this we cannot change. We can, however, control how it is produced, how it is managed and what we do with it when we've finished with it.

We are consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate, which contributes unnecessarily to climate change. More than 400 million tonnes of waste is produced in the UK every year from households, trade and industry. More than 60% of this is disposed of in landfill, where biodegradable waste produces methane - a powerful greenhouse gas.

We need to act now to reduce waste growth and recycle more. Simply landfilling waste:

• accounts for over a quarter of all UK methane emissions (a greenhouse gas).
• squanders valuable resources that could be reused or recycled.
• is unpopular with people who live near landfill sites - would you want one near your house?
• could allow hazardous waste to contaminate groudwater supplies.
• can take some materials 100s of years to decompose. Some may never break down.

Recycling an item is actually the last step in a 3-step programme. Reduce; reuse; recycle - the 3 'Rs' are well know to people but do we actually follow the steps?

Firstly, before you even aquire an item you should consider what you plan to do with it after you've finished with it. Can you buy the item with less packaging? Can it be purchased in a recyclable material? Do you actually really need it - could you do without it or borrow from a friend or neighbour?

Secondly, is there another use for it? Chocolate and biscuit tins make for good food storage containers or for small items, like nails and screws or children's jigsaw pieces. Could you donate it to a charity shop or another local re-use organisation? Re-use is all about leaving the item in its original condition, without the need for altering its composition.

Finally, when you've considered your reducing and reusing options - can it be recycled? Use your kerbside box for paper, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, textiles and food and drinks cans. Use our recycling FAQs and recycling A-Z guide for more information on what to do with your household items.

Recycling facilities are available to over 99% of the Districts householders through kerbside collections and micro-site facilities.

Plans are currently underway to increase our kerbside collection to include caravan parks and park home sites.

The new Morrisons Supermarket has the full range of recycling facilites in a dedicated area of the car park - making it easier for you to drop off your recycling. Other facilities are conveniently located around the district. See our recycling bank locations.

Battery collection tubes will be available at the Worcestershire Hubs in Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport and Bewdley's Tourist Information Centre from the middle of December.

Nappaccino mornings are coming back to the Wyre Forest - look out in the New Year for further information.

Flats and multi-occupancy housing can recycle by collecting material in their homes using one of our recycling bags and depositing them at their local recycling centre, if there isn't a communal facility available.

Trials of the Node (a mini recycling facility) have proved successful at Windermere Court in providing urban recycling facilities, as have on-street facilities at Mill street. Plans are underway to extend these facilities to Bewdley, Brintons Park and Stourport Riverside.

Look more closely at what you're buying in the supermarket to consider whether the packaging can be recycled or not. Buy in bulk to reduce packaging and re-use carrier bags or purchase re-usable ones. All Tesco and Sainsburys stores provide recycling facilities for used plastic bags.

See the County's Waste Mission Impossible website for more details.

Just because some material cannot be collected in your green and black boxes, doesn't mean there isn't a local recyling facility for it.

• Tetra-Pak waxed juice cartons can be recycled at local bring bank sites;
• Household batteries can be deposited in battery recycling tubes at your local Worcestershire Hub or the Wyre Forest Tourist Information Centre in Bewdley.
• Corrugated cardboard can be taken to the local household waste recycling centre, as can car batteries and spent fluorescent tube lighting.

See our Recycling A-Z for more information.

Local and country-wide non-profit organisations provide facilities where proceeds from your donated mobile phones, spectacles and printer ink-cartridges go to helping charities around the world.

Try to compost as much as you can or invest in a food waste disposal unit that fits easily and discreetly under your sink. Worcestershire County Council provide a cash-back scheme of up to £80, see the Waste Mission Impossible website.

Consider using reusable 'real' nappies instead of disposable ones, which can take 100s of years to decompose in landfill.

Find a new home for your unwanted goods such as donating them to a local charity, attending one of our Swap Shop events or advertising them on Freecycle.

View the Kidderminster Swop Shop Poster (299K)

Remove yourself from junk mail lists using the Mailing Preference Service or see our Jilt the Junk Mail leaflet (available on request from the Worcestershire Hub).