East Riding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why should I recycle?
A: Recycling waste saves valuable resources and prevents them from being buried in landfill sites, where they will never be used again. EU legislation and UK Government targets encourage significant reductions in the amount of waste sent to landfill and encourage greater levels of waste recycling and composting. Over 80 per cent of household waste can be re-used or recycled, saving resources and protecting our environment, so that they are sustained for future generations.
Q: Why can’t I put garden waste into a plastic bag or liner in the bin?
A: The brown bin collection is a garden waste only service. The waste is taken directly to the composting facility and will not be sorted prior to being composted, so any contaminants e.g. plastic must be kept out of the bin.
Q: What happens if I put non-compostable waste into my brown bin?
A: Any contaminants jeopardise all garden waste collected by the garden waste vehicle during that day’s round. If just one brown bin contains contaminants, then all of the material collected during that round may have to be sent to landfill.
Q: What happens if my brown bin is contaminated?
A: We will leave a tag on your bin requesting you remove the items. Once the contaminated items are removed, the bin will be emptied on the next scheduled collection.
Q: Can I have more than one brown garden waste bin?
A: No. If your garden waste exceeds the capacity of the bin then please make arrangements to take the waste to your local household waste recycling site or by purchase a home composer through the call centers.
Q: I currently get a pullout for my green bin; will I get this for my brown bin?
A: Yes. If you are on the green bin pullout list you will automatically receive a pullout for your brown bin.
Q: Can I put soil or turf from the garden in my brown bin?
A: No. Soil or turf is too heavy for the bin and will result in the bin lip cracking or breaking when it is tipped into the refuse vehicle.
Q: Can I put cooked or uncooked food waste into the brown bin?
A: No. We cannot take cooked or uncooked food waste due to Animal By-products Regulations 2005. To take this kind of waste we require a specially built composting facility to heat-treat the waste.
Q: What CAN I put in my blue bin?
A: Paper including newspapers, glossy magazines, pamphlets, brochures and loose or stapled sheets.
Any plastics graded 1, 2 or 3 can be placed in the blue bin. Look at the bottom of bottles, and inside the recycling triangle is the number giving the grade of plastic an item is made from.
Aluminium and steel food and drinks cans can be recycled along with empty aerosol cans.
Please remember that paper may be left loose in the blue bin but cans and plastics should be washed, squashed and placed inside tied plastic bags before being placed in the blue bin. This assists with sorting and stops the paper from becoming contaminated. Aerosol cans should be placed into tied plastic bags but NOT squashed!
Q: What CAN'T I put in my blue bin?
A: Please do not place letter envelopes in the blue bin. The plastic windows and glued edges interfere with the paper recycling process. Also, do not place cardboard/card, aluminium foil, metal, margarine/yoghurt pots, chemical containers, plastic food packaging, glass or telephone directories (all colours).
Q: Why don't you accept all types of plastic?
A: There are over 50 different types (polymers) of plastic. Currently we can only accept plastic grades 1 - 3. All of the plastic materials that East Riding of Yorkshire Council collects are sent to recycling companies. It is these companies that determine which types of plastics they will and will not accept. There are currently no other plastic recycling companies close to the East Riding of Yorkshire which can accept a greater range of plastic materials. At some point in the future they may start accepting a wider range of plastic grades.
Q: Why don't you collect glass?
A: We are unable to collect glass from the kerbside along with paper, plastics and cans as the load would be contaminated due to broken glass fragments. It would also be necessary to add further machinery to the 'materials recycling facility', which we currently do not have the funding to do. As an alternative to a kerbside glass collection, we are hoping to increase the number of bring sites within the authority so they are more accessible for all residents. If requested, we provide strong black plastic boxes to enable residents to store glass bottles before taking them to their nearest glass recycling sites. If you would like to request a black box, please ring the customer call centre Tel: 01482 393939
Q: Why don't you collect cardboard?
A: Card and cardboard are made differently to paper and need to go through a different recycling process. The paper that is collected in the blue bin goes to make newspaper. Collecting card and cardboard in the blue bins without separating it from paper would have an adverse effect on the ability to recycle paper and the quality of the recycled product.
Q: What happens to all the waste collected in my blue bin?
A: It is taken to our Materials Recycling Facility in Carnaby. Once delivered, it is manually sorted and any contaminants removed. The materials are separated into paper, steel cans, aluminium cans and plastics. The cans and plastics are then baled and all material is sent to different reprocessors for recycling.
Q:Why is it important to wash and squash the cans and plastic bottles?
A: Even though cans and plastic bottles are very light they take up a large amount of space in the bin and the refuse lorry. Washed and squashed cans and plastic bottles take up much less space, this means the lorry will only need to make one trip to the recycling depot a day, instead of three or four trips. Reducing the number of journeys made by the lorry helps save the environment as it means that less greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
Washing helps to keep your bin and its contents clean. This reduces smells and makes the whole thing more hygienic - especially for our manual sorters at the Carnaby bring site. In addition, if the paper in your blue bin becomes soiled with food waste and liquids, then it will not be suitable for recycling and will have to be landfilled.
Q: Do householders have to take part in the recycling scheme?
A: The simple answer is no but it is hoped that householders will give it a try.
Q: What is the capacity/dimensions of the blue recycling wheeled bin?
A: The capacity is 140 litres and the dimensions are: height 106 cms/41.5 inches, width 47 cms/18.5 inches and depth 54 cms/21 inches.
Q: How often are the blue bins emptied?
A: Blue recycling wheeled bins will be emptied on a four weekly cycle and always on a Friday, except immediately after Bank Holidays, when collections will be on a Saturday. Please see your blue bin calendar for collection dates.
