Changes to your bin collection service
The council has introduced changes to bin collections.
This means that properties receive a collection of their grey bin one week with their recycling bins collected the following week.
The majority of residents in Bolton also receive either a fortnightly food and garden waste collection service or a weekly food waste collection service.
The changes have been introduced because in January 2013 Bolton Council approved changes to its bin collection service, which will save £2.6m a year and increase recycling levels across the borough.
In April 2013 the council introduced a new weekly food waste container collection service, to properties not currently covered by the food and garden waste collection. This service allows residents living in properties with little or no gardens to recycle food waste and small amounts of garden waste. This will encourage more people to recycle their food waste, meaning that grey bins only need to be collected every two weeks.
The council has adopted the same type of grey bin collection service already run by other Greater Manchester boroughs and by more than half of councils across the country.
Under this system, known as a ‘managed weekly’ service, residual waste (grey bin) and recycling (burgundy, beige and green bins) are collected on alternate weeks.
The council has to make savings of £43.6m between 2013 to 2015. As part of this, the council needs to make changes to the waste collection service, as waste disposal currently costs the council £19.3m a year and this is set to escalate to £24.6m by 2015, unless changes are made. The new waste collection service will save £2.6m per year and will also increase the recycling rate to a predicted rate of 41 per cent.
Between September and November 2012, the Council sent a survey to 8,000 randomly selected households in Bolton and received over 1,500 responses, which covered a cross section of all types of households in the borough.
72 per cent said that the proposed changes to bin collection services would have little or no impact on their household and when asked their view on the proposed changes, 63 per cent of respondents made supportive comments.
On 13 May 2013 Bolton Council introduced changes to bin collections. This means that properties receive a collection of their grey bin one week with their recycling bins are collected the following week.
From 15 April 2013, the majority of residents in Bolton receive either a fortnightly food and garden waste collection service or a weekly food waste collection service. To find out more details on this service please see our Food waste container and green bin page.
To find out when your next bin collection dates are and to confirm whether or not you are on the new weekly food waste collection service or the fortnightly green bin collection, please enter your address details into the Residents info box below.
How will this affect me?
Doctor Bike and Donation Event
On Sunday 16 June, at the Horwich Festival of Bike Racing, bring your bike along for a FREE health check with Doctor Bike, or donate your bike to a local re-use project.
Recycle for Greater Manchester has partnered with bike re-use projects to encourage people to get back on their bike or donate bikes they have outgrown or worn out.
A Cy-tech mechanic will be on hand at the event to check the bikes over and help to fix those niggles. You can also hand over any old bikes you no longer want!
For further information visit Recycle For Greater Manchester
Got a Small Electrical Item that’s lost its spark?
Don’t bin it, bring it for Recycle Week
It’s the tenth anniversary of Recycle Week (17 to 23 June) and Recycle for Greater Manchester would like to encourage local residents to get involved by recycling more, in particular broken or unwanted small electrical items.
Whether it's an old mobile phone at the back of a drawer, children’s toys hidden in the loft, old power tools cluttering up your garage or a broken kettle gathering dust on top of a cupboard, sometimes it's hard to part with things that seem too valuable to throw away.
If the item is in good working order you could always ask friends and family if they would like them, swap or sell them online or see if your local charity will accept them.The good news is even if they are broken they don't have to go to waste, because you can recycle them! If you can answer "YES" to any of the following, you can recycle it at a Recycling Centre:
- Does it have a plug?
- Does it use batteries?
- Does it need charging?
- Does it have the crossed-out wheelie bin logo on it?
Councillor Neil Swannick, Chair of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority said: "On average, every Greater Manchester household has three broken or unwanted small electrical items. This can include everyday items like kettles, toasters, hairdryers, cameras and mobile phones. It's easy to recycle these items by simply taking it to one of the 21 Recycling Centres across Greater Manchester."
Also when you next visit a Recycling Centre, you can pledge to recycle more for a chance to win £200 of shopping vouchers.
26 schools across Greater Manchester including Washacre Primary School and St John’s CE Primary School in Bolton are taking part in Recycle Week by hosting a recycling point for their school community.
You can also take your broken or unwanted small electrical to Bolton Town Hall’s One Stop Shop recycling point between 17th -22nd June (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-1pm).
To locate your nearest Recycling Centre and find out more about Recycle Week visit www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com
A zero waste community
Projects are in place to help Greater Manchester become a zero waste community.
Eight community projects across Greater Manchester share this year's Community Waste Fund to help the region reduce, re-use and recycle. The projects will inspire positive change in communities to improve the environment and help residents save money.
From changing the recycling culture with the help of community champions, to reducing the amount of food waste with practical activities, and a paint re-use scheme, are just some of the sustainable projects that secured funding.
Councillor Neil Swannick, Chair of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) said: "This is the third year of the community waste fund and there is an interesting and diverse range of projects starting up. Through involving and supporting communities to increase local recycling and reduce waste will help achieve the aim of zero waste to landfill."
Whether it's recruiting enviro-mentors, teaching people to preserve food or encouraging furniture and bike re-use, the Community Waste Fund is there to support waste and recycling initiatives that can benefit residents in Greater Manchester.
To find out more about the individual projects, then please have a look at Recycle for Greater Manchester
Gardeners it's time to spontaneously compost
Recycle for Greater Manchester would like to encourage keen gardeners across the region to home compost some of their food and garden waste to save them money and help the environment, whilst they watch their gardens flourish.
Almost half of the food waste in your rubbish bin can be composted, so instead of throwing it away, turn it into a valuable and natural resource for your garden. If you have not got a compost bin already, why not get one and start to use it this Spring.
To encourage home composting, Greater Manchester Councils in partnership with getcomposting.com are offering home compost bins for as little as £16.98 plus delivery – less than half the recommended retail price of £39. There is also a ‘Buy One Get One Half Price’ offer, adding extra value to residents with larger gardens or those who team up with a friend or neighbor to buy a bin. To see what’s available in your local area call 0844 571 4444 or look online at www.getcomposting.com. Simply enter your postcode to find the best deal for you.
Why not visit the Recycle for Greater Manchester website at www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com/composting/at-home for a step by step guide to home composting, how to get the best results, plus useful hints and tips on how and where to use the compost you have made.
Look out also for the launch of a new low cost, blended multi- purpose compost product made from household food and garden waste, soon to be available from the weighbridge facility at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Spring - board into recycling
Recycle for Greater Manchester would like to encourage local residents from across the region to consider recycling and donating unwanted items during their annual spring clean.
It certainly may not feel like it right now, but spring really is upon us and now is the time of year to give your home a good clear out of the things you no longer need or use.
Whether it's old mobile phones in a drawer, kids' toys in a cupboard, old power tools cluttering up your garage, or books gathering dust in your loft, sometimes it's hard to part with things that seem too valuable to throw away. The good news is they don't have to go to waste, because you can recycle or donate them! Simply drop them off at your local Recycling Centre. Don’t forget the Recycling Centres across Greater Manchester are open from 8am - 8pm 7 days a week.
The Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) at Hurstwood Court, Raikes Lane Industrial Estate and in Blackrod, Blackhorse Street offer the facilities to recycle unwanted items such as batteries, carpets and TVs. You can also donate furniture, clothing, and washing machines for re-use. For more information on what you can bring visit www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com and new exciting information on what happens to your recycling.
Councillor Neil Swannick, Chair of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority said: “Decluttering for your spring clean can be a quick and easy job. Focus on a certain type of item at a time - for example, small electrical goods. Start with the easy things - items that are broken, worn-out or unused. Work your way through your home, room by room and ask yourself if it can be re-used or recycled. Recycling or donating unwanted items for re-use creates more space in your home and diverts more waste away from landfill”.
Make recycling part of your daily routine. For more information on what you can do to recycle more, waste less and even save money this spring, visit www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com
Seeing is Believing
Greater Manchester has many furniture re-use organisation that collect and sell pre-loved furniture. This is an essential service for people on low incomes who are looking for affordable furniture in their home. Even if you are just looking for a great bargain, these organisation are a great way to save money if you are looking for quality furniture at affordable prices. They have a wide range of items, with stocks updated daily.
Locally in Bolton, Bolton Community Transport and Furniture Services is a local registered charity operating within the Bolton area to offer a free collection service for all reusable household furniture and white goods.
Bolton Community Transport and Furniture Services operate three friendly and reasonably priced furniture showrooms where both new and reusable furniture is stored and sold.
Visit the showrooms at:
-
Unit A1, Lecturers Close, Bolton (behind Sainsbury's)
-
139/141 Market Street, Farnworth
-
63 Knowsley Street, Bolton
To arrange a furniture collection please Tel: 01204 364777, email bctfs@btconnect.com or visit the Bolton Community Transport and Furniture Services website.
Curious?... you can now visit Recycle for Greater Manchester to see what Bolton Community Transport and Furniture Services has on sale before you go down to the shop. They are regularly uploading pictures of new stock so you can see it all at a touch of a button. Seeing is believing, so if you are looking for something special for your newly decorated living room, why not have a look at what these organisation have to offer? A sofa for £30… look no further!
Help us 'Recycle more'
Residents in Bolton have been signing up to take part in a campaign, funded by DEFRA, to help increase recycling across Bolton. If you live in the borough of Bolton you can help by signing up too. Residents who sign up will be part of an email-messaging campaign and will receive emails either giving reminders / tips about recycling or just general service information. The campaign will evaluate the impact that different types of messages have on the level of recycling within the borough.
If you would like to help us by taking part in this campaign, please sign up to 'Recycle more'.