 Kerbside recycling Frequently asked questions - green bins, grey bins and black boxes Collection dates - check when your next black box collection is due by visiting the Recycle for Wiltshire website (opens in new window) and check when your green and grey bins are emptied by visiting our rubbish collections page. If you have a question about your green bin or black recycling box, the chances are the answer is on this page. Please check the list of questions and answers below. If you still haven't found the information you need, please call Hills Waste on 0845 603 2085 about your black box or the Council on 01225 776655 about your grey and green bins. Q : Why do you collect green waste? A : Green or compostable waste accounts for the second largest amount of what we throw away. New legislation has set strict targets to reduce the volume of rubbish going to landfill. Green waste causes problems in landfill sites as it produces gases and liquids that can harm wildlife and the environment. Q : I don't have a green bin, but my neighbours all have one - what can I do? A : Contact the recycling department on 01225 776655 - we will arrange for a bin to be delivered. Q : I have a green bin but I don’t need it as I compost all of my green waste already - what can I do? A : Contact the recycling department on 01225 776655 - we will arrange to collect the bin as soon as possible. However, you must be aware that you will still only get your grey bin emptied every other week. Home composting is the best way to deal with green waste - the green bin can be used as well as a home composter for tough weeds, woody prunings, large quantities of grass cuttings etc. Q : I don't have a garden so I don't need a green bin - what can I do? A : Give us a call and we will arrange to take the bin away. However, you must be aware that you will still only get your grey bin emptied every other week. Q : I would like a small green bin (140-litre) instead of the large 240-litre bin - can I swap? A : We do have some smaller green bins - to ask for a swap, contact the recycling department on 01225 776655. Q : What can go in the green bin?
Q : What cannot go in the green bin?
Q : What happens if the green bin contains the wrong items? A : The bin men will put a sticker on the bin saying that it contained the wrong items and it has not been emptied. The householder must remove any items that should not be in the bin, and the bin will be emptied on the next green waste week. Q : Won’t the bins smell after two weeks?
Q : How do I prevent getting maggots in my bin? A : Keep the lid on the bin at all times. Maggots will only appear if the eggs have been laid in a suitable food source for them to develop. If bins are kept closed, flies should not be able to enter to lay their eggs. Therefore, if maggots do appear, the eggs are likely to have been laid before the food was put in the wheeled bin, especially if it is properly wrapped when put in the bin. Q : Can I continue with a weekly rubbish collection? A : We are still providing a weekly collection, we are simply asking people to sort their waste and put out certain types each week. Q : We are a large family and cannot cope with just one bin - what can we do? A : Large families or families who, for legitimate reasons, produce more waste than average should contact the recycling department on 01225 776655. Q : I can’t fit all my rubbish into my bin - what can I do? A : Recycle as much waste as possible so that general rubbish is minimised. Q : If bins are not emptied weekly, won’t it cause a health problem? A : There is no evidence of any known adverse health effects as a result of two-weekly rubbish collections. One council consulted its Medical Officer for Health, who checked their records and these showed no indication of an increase in gastro-intestinal diseases following the change to a two-weekly collection. The Medical Officer for Health is not aware of any problems associated with the new collection system or refuse in general in our modern society. She is also not aware of any research that has proven a link with refuse and ill health. If there becomes a claim of such an occurrence, a study of the case would be undertaken. However, she would not expect to find any such link. Dustmen work with rubbish daily and suffer no ill effects as a result. Good hygiene in the home is the best way of preventing the spread of disease and infection. Flies are all around and have the potential to spread disease, no matter what type of refuse collection service is in operation. Maggots in a wheeled bin will not cause any health problems. Q : Why has a sticker been put on my grey bin? A : There are several reasons why a sticker might be put on your grey bin to tell you why it has not been emptied. If your bin is too heavy our collectors will not be able to empty it. If your bin contains materials that cannot be put into a domestic bin, such as rubble and building waste, carpets and commercial waste, the bin cannot be emptied. These materials (except commercial waste) should be taken out of your bin and transported to one of the household recycling centres in the district so that your bin can be emptied on the next due day. You may have a sticker entitled 'faulty bin', which means that your bin is damaged in some way and needs repair or to be replaced. Or if your bin is not at the kerbside, the crew will place a sticker telling you that it needs to be located in a different place for the next collection day. Please note that the general definition of kerbside is within one metre (and clearly visible) from the highway.
Q : My neighbours have all got a black box but I have never received one - what can I do? A : The telephone number for Hills Waste is 0845 6032 085. They will provide you with a black box, as long as you are in an area covered by the scheme. Q : The lid from my black box has gone missing - what can I do? A : You don’t have to have a lid on your black box, as long as any paper or textiles are bagged up to keep them dry. However, if you do want a replacement, the telephone number for Hills Waste is 0845 6032 085. Q : The black box is too small for all of my recycling - what can I do? A : Paper, newspapers and magazines can be put into carrier bags and placed on top of the box for collection. Please do not tie the handles of the bags or use black bin bags as these could be confused with refuse. If you need a second box, contact Hills and one will be made available to you. Q : What can go in the black box?
Q : What cannot go in the black box?
Q : Why can’t we recycle plastics at the kerbside? A : At present, it is not cost effective to collect plastics from the kerbside, although they can be taken any of our household recycling centres and some mini recycling centres. If plastics are put into the grey bin, they must be squashed flat and have the lid replaced. To avoid accumulating plastics, try to buy goods in glass and tins where possible. Q : The black box is too heavy to lift - what can I do? A : Hills Waste can swap your black box for a plastic basket, which is similar to a supermarket basket. The telephone number for Hills Waste is 0845 6032 085. Q : Do I have to take the labels off my tins? A : Please remove the labels where possible and wash and crush the tins/cans before putting them into the black box. Q : What do I do with my old Yellow Pages? A : For a few months following the delivery of Yellow Pages there is a special collection bank at the household waste recycling centres in Trowbridge, Melksham and Warminster. Please take your Yellow Pages there. They must not be put into your black box, because the coloured dye in the pages contaminates the other paper when it's processed. Q : What do I do with my old telephone directory? A : As long as it does not contain any yellow pages, it can be put into your black box for recycling. Alternatively, it can be placed in a paper bank. |
