A new recycling and waste system for Test Valley
When you re-elected your Conservative Council in 2019, we promised we would improve the range of products you can recycle in the bins we collect from you each week.
I’m delighted to tell you that next week I will be asking Test Valley’s Cabinet to approve a new system we’re calling '1, 2, 3 Weekly,’ which we plan to introduce in early 2024. It is designed to drastically improve our recycling rate to at least 55% and hopefully higher, lifting us into the top tier of local councils nationally.
We will be proposing the introduction of weekly food waste collections and widening the range of items we collect from your recycling bins to include glass and the majority of plastics including pots, tubs, cartons and trays.
The new system will mean the introduction of a new blue bin and also two food caddies for each household, a small one for your kitchen and a larger one to be left out at the roadside.
What you put in your bins will also change:
Blue - Glass, tins, cartons, plastic (bottles, tubs, trays)
Brown - Paper and cardboard
Green - Garden waste
Food caddy - Food waste
Black - Any remaining non-recyclable waste
Food waste will be collected each week from your caddy. While your bin day will remain the same, the frequency of collection will change for the other bins, with one bin being collected each week. Garden waste collections will remain fortnightly.
The roll out of this new system will be a huge undertaking. Here in Test Valley we collect over 58,000 bins each week, so we therefore need to buy, store and then distribute 58,000 of our new blue bins, 58,000 large food caddies and 58,000 small food caddies. Almost 175,000 bins in total. We also need to buy new bin collection lorries and hire the staff to operate them.
We also realise that this will mean a big change for everyone. For example, for some people finding the space for additional bins will be a challenge. How will we manage collections from flats with communal bins? How can we help those people who currently don’t have space for bins at all? What happens if you don’t need to recycle your food as you already compost it at home?
That’s why we are announcing our plans now with an implementation date of 2024. It gives us time to make sure everyone is aware of the change, ensuring that we maximise the amount we as a community in Test Valley recycle. It means we can investigate solutions for those who will struggle with space for the bins, and it ensures we are able to offer help to those who may find the new system a challenge.
We’ve prepared this Frequently Asked Questions document to answer the first questions we have anticipated: www.testvalley.gov.uk/recyclingchanges
Do please ask additional questions, only by doing so can we ensure every eventuality is considered and we try to address every challenge.
You can also read the full Cabinet Paper proposing the scheme here: www.testvalley.gov.uk/recyclingreport