Dear Residents, we are writing to update you this month on the new glass bin scheme and the removal of the old bottle banks at the Medical Centre car park.
I hope by now all of you who have requested a new glass collection bin has received our new bins. The scheme is a fantastic way to ensure that more glass is recycled in our area and underlies our district council’s ambition to continue to secure more sustainable approaches to waste management.
We have been approached by a number of residents across our ward this week who have noticed that the static bottle banks that have long been a constant sight in our ward, are being removed. I have been informed by Newark and Sherwood District Council Waste Team that these bottle banks were privately managed by UK Glass and not managed by the District Council, and the glass, which was collected by the management company, was recycled to generate private revenue for UK Glass. With the introduction of the new household bins, UK Glass has decided to remove these. Unfortunately, the district council has no power to stop this and therefore these bins will now be removed, Newark and Sherwood District Council will be placing a smaller static bin in the vicinity of Collingham Medical Centre should you need extra capacity to recycle your glass beyond your household bin.
It was also brought to our attention that the size and frequency of collection of the new household bins is not satisfactory for the requirements of some of our ward residents for which I whole heartedly agree. We have been assured by the waste team the dimensions of the bin and the frequency of collection has been modelled and this was the best fit outcome for the whole district, however we understand a one size fits all solution isn’t ideal. We have approached the waste team at Newark and Sherwood District Council, who confirmed the glass collected from household bins will be recycled to generate revenue and cover the costs of the collection activity. Therefore, in the future the team have agreed it may be possible to have additional bins to supplement the current household quota, but we will have to wait until the service beds in and matures before this will be an option.
I hope this will go some way to explain the current context behind the static bin removals and what further options for glass collection may be open to residents in the future.
Your District Councillors,
Phil Farmer and Linda Dales
