Don't let your collections go to waste

The council is urging residents not to let their recyclable collections go to waste. Since November almost 400 tonnes of green waste has had to be sent to landfill because bins had been contaminated.

The message comes ahead of spring, when traditionally the amount of green waste, which includes garden and kitchen waste, increases. On average the council collects approximately 38 lorry loads of green waste each week. Since the launch of Additional Bin Collections approximately seven loads each week have to be rejected and during recent high winds this increased to 11 loads in one week.

Cllr Jean Heywood, portfolio holder for Environment, said: "We are working hard to increase recycling rates within the borough and are pleased with the overall response from residents. However a significant amount of recyclable waste is being diverted to landfill as a result of contamination. We want to make sure people understand what can and can't go in the green wheelie bin, as I do appreciate it can be confusing."

Waste operatives often only realise a bin has been contaminated once it has been emptied in to the waste lorry, which means it cannot be removed and results in entire loads being rejected.

"We have had pillows that have split, which resulted in polystyrene balls contaminating an entire load," explained Steve Burton, Head of Waste Management. "We have also found plant pots, a motorbike engine, children's toys, plastic bags as well as recyclables that could have gone into the blue or black box. These have all been put into green waste wheelie bins and we obviously cannot check the entire contents of every green wheelie bin, so often these items are only discovered once the bin has been emptied.

"For obvious health and safety reasons, our waste operatives cannot climb in to our waste lorries to remove the contamination and unfortunately a number of loads are still having to be rejected and sent to landfill, which is a real shame after all the effort that the majority of people have put in."

So remember, your green/brown wheelie bin can accept:

Cardboard food packaging, brown cardboard, cardboard egg cartons, toilet and kitchen roll centres, all food scrapings including meat, bones, fruit and vegetables, tea bags and coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable waste, grass, hedge and tree cuttings, vegetarian pet waste, logs, straw and hay.

Your green/brown wheelie bin cannot accept
Waxed or plasticised cardboard such as fruit juice cartons or washing powder boxes, telephone directories, magazines, treated or painted wood, fence panels, painted doors, wicker, plastics, including plastic carrier bags, glass, cans or tins.

Mr Burton added: "We have had a number of queries from residents about plastic bags from supermarkets that are labelled degradable. Unfortunately, degradable plastic take many years to degrade biologically and if put in the green bin cause contamination leading to rejected loads. In addition new liners which claim to be compostable cannot be used within our green bins as our composting contractor will not accept liners without the Hertsmere logo.

"The liners that Hertsmere provide for use with the kitchen caddies are 100% biodegradable and also 100% compostable. They meet with specific criteria necessary to comply with composting standards needed for the composting process and are therefore the only bags accepted in the green bins."

Hertsmere's biodegradable liners are available from all Hertsmere Leisure Centres: The Venue, Borehamwood; Furzefield Centre and The Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar; Bushey Grove Leisure Centre and also the offices of Aldenham Parish Council in the Radlett Centre.

For more information on what can and cannot be recycled, please click here to visit our ABC pages.