Policy
Wyre Forest District Council Recycling and Waste Management Service Standards
Last updated 31 January 2023
1. Objectives
1.1 Wyre Forest District Council (‘The Council’) is committed to increasing recycling to maximise the use of finite resources and limit the amount of waste sent to landfill and or incineration. The council has joined up to the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Herefordshire and Worcestershire and is mindful of the waste hierarchy, actively encouraging waste prevention, re- use (including home composting) and recycling with landfill as a last resort.
2. Introduction
2.1 The council operates an alternate-weekly collection for both rubbish and recycling. All recycling will be collected across the district during one week and all rubbish the next, collection days being Tuesday to Friday. An optional paid-for garden waste collection service is available (subject to availability), for which a separate policy exists.
2.2 The aim of this policy is to clearly define the standards and expectations surrounding waste collection in Wyre Forest so as to avoid any uncertainty both for residents and officers of the council.
2.3 There is an initial charge for wheeled bins; the cost of this is covered by the housing developer or the individual builder and should be paid in advance of the bins being provided, normally just prior to occupation. Price on request. The developer/builder is required to complete a ‘Developer Waste Requirements’ form.
3. Frequency of collection
3.1 The Council will empty all individual wheeled bins provided by the council once every two weeks. They are as follows;
3.1.1 Grey/black bins for rubbish
3.1.2 Green bins for recycling
3.2 In all cases of wheeled bin collection rubbish will be collected one week and recycling the next, on the same day each week.
3.3 Collections take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
3.4 We ask residents to ensure their bins are at the collection point (normally at the kerbside/boundary of the property closest to where the collection vehicle can stop) by 6am. If access is restricted/prohibited this may result in your bin not getting emptied and an alternative collection point may be requested.
4. Refuse policy
4.1 Each household is provided with one grey/black 240-litre wheeled bin for residual (non-recyclable) household waste (‘rubbish’). If the household is a one bedroom property, it will be provided with a 140-litre wheeled bin. Residents are encouraged to use number/letter stickers to label their bin.
4.3 Grey/black bins are emptied fortnightly on alternate weeks to green recycling bins
4.4 All bins must stay at the address to which they are supplied and must not be removed should the resident move house.
4.5 All bins remain the property of Wyre Forest District Council.
4.6 Householders are responsible for keeping their bins in a hygienic and serviceable condition.
4.7 Only one grey/black bin per household per fortnight will be emptied unless an additional ‘extra-capacity’ bin has been authorized.
4.8 The lid of the bin must be closed for collection to take place.
4.9 No side waste will be collected
4.10 Bins containing waste such as soil, bricks and rubble, garden waste or similar items not considered household waste will not be collected.
4.11 Failure to meet the above requirements may result in the bin not being emptied. If the bin has not been emptied a notification will be placed on your bin requesting that the problem is rectified. If your bin has not been emptied, please see the following notifications;
4.11.1 Side waste left for collection
4.11.2 Rejected bin due to overloading
4.11.3 Rejected bin contaminated with waste considered as ‘non-household’ i.e. soil, rubble or similar
4.11.4 Non-authorised extra-capacity bins
4.12 Subsequently and repeatedly, if the problem has not been rectified collection will not take place.
4.13 If damage or loss occurs during handling on collection days as a result of acts and omissions by Council staff or through general wear and tear, bins may be replaced free of charge
4.14 Replacement bins will be delivered within ten working days of them being reported, subject to availability.
4.15 Bins must be removed from the kerbside as soon after collection as possible and no later than 24 hours following collection. Bin must not be out for collection any earlier than nightfall the evening prior to collection.
4.16 If your bin has not been emptied and it was presented at the kerbside by 6am on collection day please check that if the rest of the street has been collected, that it contained the correct material, there are no tags attached to the bin handle alerting you to a problem, it wasn’t too heavy, the bin lid wasn’t up and there were no access problems.
5. Recycling policy
5.1 Each household is provided with one green 240 litre wheeled bin for recyclable household waste. Residents are encouraged to use number/letter stickers to label their bin.
5.2 Additional 240 litre green wheeled bins may be requested to be used for recyclable material only.
5.3 Green recycling bins are emptied fortnightly, on alternate weeks to grey/black rubbish bins
5.4 All bins must stay at the address to which they are supplied and must not be removed should the resident move house.
5.5 All bins remain the property of Wyre Forest District Council.
5.6 Householders are responsible for keeping their bins in a hygienic and serviceable condition.
5.7 The bins are to be placed by the householder at the boundary of the property closest to the kerbside by 6am on collection day to guarantee collection.
5.8 Only green bins that contain recyclable material will be emptied, read our What goes in which bin guide for the list of recyclable material accepted in the green bins). Items that are not on this list are classed as ‘contamination’.
5.9 Recyclable items must be clean and loose; plastic bags will not be accepted in the green recycling bins either loose or to contain recyclable material.
5.10 The lid of the bins must be closed for collection to take place.
5.11 Recyclable material that is placed in bags next to the bins is accepted as long as the bags are untied and the contents can be clearly seen to be recyclable
5.12 Only recyclable material that originated from a household will be accepted in the green recycling bin; not that which originated from a business.
5.13 Failure to meet the above requirements may result in the bin not being emptied. If the bin has not been emptied check that it doesn’t contain anything not listed on our What goes in which bin guide, remove the contamination and re-present on your next collection day.
5.14 If a bin is contaminated on more than two subsequent collections the recycling service may be withdrawn from that household and no additional bin capacity will be provided.
5.15 Replacement bins will only be issued free of charge if damage or loss occurs during handling on collection days as a result of acts and omissions by Council staff.
5.16 If the situation regarding the loss of your bin does not fit the above criteria a replacement bin will be delivered at a cost to the householder, price on request.
5.17 Replacement bins will be delivered within ten working days of them being reported subject to availability.
5.18 Bins must be removed from the kerbside as soon after collection as possible and no later than 24 hours following collection. Bin must not be out for collection any earlier than nightfall the evening prior to collection.
5.19 If your bin has not been emptied and it was presented at the kerbside by 6am on collection day please check that if the rest of the street has been collected, that it contained the correct material, there are no tags attached to the bin handle alerting you to a problem, it wasn’t too heavy, the bin lid wasn’t up and there were no access problems.