New recycling scheme for Derby

South Derbyshire District Council (SDDC) has revealed that it is to introduce a new 'single bin' kerbside recycling scheme in the autumn.

The council claims that the £1 million scheme, starting in October, will see waste contractors Palm Recycling provide a 'simpler, more effective and all encompassing service for households'.

Currently, householders have a blue bag for paper collections, a green box for glass and cans, and a side bag for textile collections. The council also runs a 'brown bin' compost service.

However, following a public consultation, SDDC will soon switch to a 'single bin' system, after residents voiced support for introducing a recycling system that took up less space and saved time.

As such, the council has now ordered 42,000 green bins (pictured right) from manufacturer SSI Schaefer (with internal caddies for separating paper and card coming from Straight plc) in an attempt to divert a further 2,500 tonnes of waste from landfill. The green bins will replace the current system of green boxes and blue bags, however textiles will continue to be collected in a separate bag as they are now.

Aside from changing the recycling containers, the new system will also enable householders to recycle more materials, such as plastic and cardboard.

New system will 'encourage greater participation'

The council announced that it expected the new scheme would push South Derbyshire's recycling rate - standing at 46.5 per cent last year - over the 50 per cent mark.

Speaking of the changes, Councillor Peter Watson, Chairman of Environmental and Development Services at SDDC, said: "The new all in one bin will address [residents'] wishes to be able to place all recycling into one container, helping to simplify the process and encourage greater participation in both the short and long term.

"We are delighted to be edging closer to offering this new and improved service after listening closely to what our residents want."

The new bins are expected to be delivered to residents 'from the end of August into September', with the first collection dates, due in early October, to be communicated to residents over the next few weeks.

Palm Recycling is contracted to run waste and recycling collections for SDDC for the next eight years.

Read more about South Derbyshire District Council's recycling changes.

Derby city recycling removal

The news comes as Derby City Council considers plans to remove recycling collections in four areas of the city from 28 October, in the hopes of saving money and addressing problems of fly-tipping, contaminated recycling and litter.

The proposals would see collections ending along 147 streets in the Abbey, Arboretum, Mackworth and Normanton areas of the city, as well as the introduction of a £40 charge for garden waste collections.

Speaking to Resource, Councillor Ranjit Banwait, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Streetpride at Derby City Council, said that the proposals were "popular among residents". However, a recent survey undertaken by Derby Climate Coalition found that two out of three people (out of 276 responses) living in the New Zealand area of Mackworth in Derby 'did not want the council to stop providing kerbside recycling'.

The report concluded: 'The majority of people in this area have a real commitment to recycling, which is very encouraging. They expect leadership to be shown on this - and on climate change - by the council, and the majority consider the proposal to remove a kerbside recycling collection, and not to offer a paid-for brown bin garden waste collection, to be large steps backwards.'

Read more about Derby City Council's proposals.