You've bin warned: collections to change

COLLECTION change . . . it's a three-weekly cycle from Monday

CHANGES to Oldham's waste and recycling collections and the switch to three-weekly collections will begin on Monday.

Oldham Council is reminding residents that all bin collections across the borough will switch from a two-weekly cycle to the new system, with food and garden collections remaining weekly.

The changes aim to improve recycling rates and reduce the amount spent on general rubbish disposal by as much as £3 million over the next two years.

This simplified collection pattern will see grey bins for general rubbish collected one week, blue bins for paper and card the week after and brown bins for glass, plastics and tins the following week.

Cllr Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and co-operatives, said: "Over the last few months we have been busy preparing for the roll out of the scheme and we are confident it will continue to provide value for money for residents.

"Over the next few years we want to see to our recycling rates increase so we don't have to pay huge financial penalties.

"By cutting disposal costs we'll be helping to save taxpayers' money, which can be used on other essential public services.

"Over the next two years we need to make £37m worth of savings.

"Making these changes to collections will help avoid further costs putting even more pressure on our budget.

"Cuts in government funding have meant doing nothing is not an option so we've had to change the way our frontline services work."

When the new pattern is up and running, some residents will start with a grey bin collection, some with blue and others with brown. Residents are being reminded that collection days themselves have not changed. All households should now have had their new collection calendars and reminder tags have also been placed on bins over the last few weeks.

The council has provided residents the recycling space they need for free and those who didn't use the food waste service were provided with food caddies.

Households without recycling bins have been able to order bins and those with small recycling bins have been able to order larger ones.

Clear

Residents who may have been affected slightly differently, such as flats with communal bins and rural areas, should have been contacted separately to ensure they are clear on how the changes affect them.

Dual-use compostable bags, which can be used to carry shopping and then to line a food caddy, are available to buy at more than 100 local stockists, including all public libraries in the borough.

Find details of the new service and places where dual-use compostable bags can be purchased is at www.oldham.gov.uk/waste or by calling 0161-770 6644.