Clean cardboard only for recycling in Rotherham

Rotherham Borough Council's green bin service - for the usual mix of garden waste and cardboard - will continue until Monday, November 14, when only clean cardboard will be accepted in green bins.

Stickers are currently being issued to all Rotherham households reminding them of the scheme, which will run until next year, when on Monday, March 19, the combined green waste and cardboard collection will restart.

During the cardboard-only collections householders are being asked to ensure that the bins contain only clean cardboard that is free from contamination. This year any green bins containing contaminants such as garden waste, household waste, plastic film, tape and polystyrene fillers will not be collected.

If bins are contaminated, householders will find a prominent tag fastened to their bin handle explaining why their green bin could not be collected due to contamination. Householders will be asked to remove the contamination and present their bin at their next due collection.

The reason for the card-only collection is due to the difficulties in trying to compost contents of the green bins when it is predominantly cardboard. During the winter months the contents are about 10 per cent garden waste and 90 per cent cardboard - completely the wrong mix for compost - and which is coming under scrutiny from the Environment Agency.

In the summer months, however, a mix is acceptable at composting sites because the card is effectively diluted by the large amounts of garden waste and can be readily turned into acceptable compost.

This is the second year that Rotherham Borough Council has suspended its green waste collections in favour of cardboard only.

Last year's inaugural trial was going well until it had to be temporarily halted because of the bad weather prior to Christmas and the start of the usual Christmas waste collections. It resumed after Christmas and a total of 800 tonnes of cardboard was collected. 

Coun. Richard Russell, the authority's Cabinet Member for Waste and Emergency Planning, said it makes sense to introduce the card-only scheme again this winter. 

He added:"It makes sense to get income from a recyclable product rather than damaging the composting process or sending it to expensive landfill. It is an obvious use of the green bins, which are very light on green garden waste at this time of year and predominantly contain cardboard, specially around Christmas.

"But I must remind households that it is clean cardboard only. We are not being difficult but any greens bins that are contaminated by other products will result in whole lorry loads being turned away and sent to landfill. That is why we will not collect green bins that contain other waste.

Households that do produce garden waste during the winter period will again be asked to either home compost their green waste or alternatively, use Rotherham Borough Council's four household waste recycling centres.

Anyone without a home compost bin can find more details on the website or by telephoning 0844 571 4444.