FAQs for the New Recycling and Waste Collection Service
1. Why is the Council changing to 3 weekly black bin collections?
The Welsh Government has set very ambitious statutory recycling targets. These statutory
targets are 58% for 2015/16; 64% for 2019/20 and; 70% for 2024/25. Failure to meet these
statutory targets can result in the Welsh Government imposing fines of £200 per tonne
based on the number of tonnes below the statutory target listed. For Anglesey, this means
for every 1% failure in the recycling target set, the Council would have to pay around £80k in
fines. As an example, based on the 2019/20 recycling target, if the Council failed to do any
further recycling above the 58% baseline figure, this would result in a 6% shortfall, which
would equate to an annual fine of around £480k.
2. I already recycle everything – where’s the extra recycling going to come from?
Over 75% of the waste we produce in the home is recyclable. A recent investigation showed
that very high levels of recyclable material is still being thrown into the black bin. This means
many people aren’t fully using the recycling services available. This new service will focus on
collecting more of the recycling materials currently collected and capturing mixed plastics
for recycling for the first time.
3. Will collecting the black bin every 3 weeks mean rotting food, rats and flies?
Food waste (brown bin) will still be collected every week and compostable bags will be
provided free of charge to help householders contain their food waste. Food waste bins are
secure and lockable to prevent unwanted access by pests. If everyone uses the weekly food
waste collection service, no food waste would be left in the black bin and so nuisance
complaints should be kept to an absolute minimum.
4. Why is the Council still collecting green waste during the winter?
Even over the winter months significant levels of green garden waste is collected at the
kerbside – over 740 tonnes in 2015/16. This contributes a significant level of recycling to the
overall Council’s target to ensure statutory targets are met (and fines are avoided). If this
green garden waste ended up in landfill it would cost over £75k per annum to dispose of.
Failure to meet the Welsh Government’s statutory recycling targets could mean an £80k fine
for every 1% failure below the target and would mean more cost for tax payer.
5. How do I know when to put my bins and boxes out?
Your day of collection will not change and the recycling boxes and food waste bin will
continue to be collected on a weekly basis. There will be an information pack arriving in the
post by the end of September which will explain when the green and the black bins will be
collected. You should start using the new service when your new orange box arrives.
Eventually there will be calendars on the website showing you when to put your bins and
boxes out too.
6. What do I put in my boxes?
The new information pack tells you what items to put in which boxes. There will also be a
handy sticker on the front of your orange box to tell you what goes where. All the
information will also be on our website shortly.
7. How will I cope with a three weekly black bin collection?
You can now recycle more items than ever with the new system, therefore less waste will go
into the black bin if you use the weekly recycling collection correctly. Ensure that you wash
and squash all accepted recyclable items within the boxes to maximise the amount you can
recycle.
8. I have children in my family in nappies and my bin will smell after three weeks.
There is a bespoke nappy collection service you can apply for. We can send you a form to
register for this free service. You will need to provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate
and we will provide a standard service for children up to the age of three.
9. I have a disabled child or elderly relative using incontinence pads or nappies.
You may wish to apply for a collection service. Please contact your district nurse / GP surgery
and they will be able to send the Council a referral form for this service.
10. I have lost or damaged my blue / red box / food waste bin.
Please call the Waste Management Section on 01248 752860 or visit the Council’s website at
www.anglesey.gov.uk where you can request new boxes / food waste bin via an online form.
Once you have received these, please mark them with your address.
11. I have lost the net or hats for my recycling boxes, how do I order new ones?
Please call the Waste Management Section on 01248 752860 or visit the Council’s website at
www.anglesey.gov.uk where you can request new covers via an online form. This will
maximise recycling and reduce street litter.
12. I have not received my orange box, what should I do?
Please phone the Waste Management Section on 01248 752860 or send an e-mail to
[email protected]
13. Why can’t I put batteries in the blue box or inside the tins and cans?
Loose batteries within the blue box or within the tins and cans cause damage to the
collection vehicles and the machinery at the Council’s sorting site. Please place your
batteries in the new white pouch that you will receive shortly and attach the pouch onto
your new orange box or trolley box.
14. I have not received my white pouch with my orange box or trolley box.
There has been a delay in receiving the white pouches from our supplier. They will be sent to
you later. When you receive it please tie it to the orange box or trolley box. Guidance will be
on the website shortly.
15. What plastic items can I recycle in my box?
In addition to plastic bottles, you can now recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays which will
reduce the volume in your black bin. Plastic items that are made of polystyrene, polythene
bags or those made from hard plastic cannot be accepted as part of the current weekly
recycling collection service. Please take any hard plastic items such as broken toys to either
of the Council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres at Penhesgyn or Gwalchmai. Directions
and opening times are on the Council’s website.
16. Can I recycle Tetrapac containers such as orange juice cartons?
Tetrapac containers cannot be accepted as part of the current weekly recycling collection
service, however there are Tetrapac recycling banks at the Council’s Household Waste
Recycling Centres at Penhesgyn and Gwalchmai therefore please take them there to be
recycled.
17. Will I be allowed extra boxes for my recycling?
You will be given an orange box as part of the new system that will increase the capacity for
you to recycle. You should put out a single blue, red and orange box each week even it is half
full, so you maximise the amount you can recycle. Please remember to wash and squash all
recyclable materials so that you make the most of your recycling boxes.
18. Can I have a trolley box instead of an orange box?
A number of properties across Anglesey will be receiving a trolley box as part of a trial and
these have already been allocated. We don’t have any additional trolley boxes available at
the moment however should the trial be successful and we obtain additional funding in the
future, there may be further trolley boxes available.
19. Why can’t we collect the recycling in one big recycling bin?
The quality of the segregated recycling collected using boxes is much better than that
collected in one big recycling bin, and it would also need extensive sorting once collected.
This is the Welsh Government’s preferred collection method as stated in their stated waste
strategy document ‘Towards Zero Waste’.
20. Why are you collecting green waste every 2 weeks and rubbish every 3 weeks?
With the new recycling service there will be less waste to go in the black bin and more waste
being recycled, however people with gardens will still be producing the same amount of
green waste that needs collecting as regularly as it was in the old system.
21. Can I refuse a trolley box?
If you have received a trolley box and you don’t like it, you can call the Waste Management
Section on 01248 752860 to swap it for an orange box.
22. I’ve had an Oops sticker but I don’t know why?
The new service means you need to put different items into different recycling boxes
compared to the old system. Please check the items you have put in each box. All the
information you need is in the information pack you received through the post and on the
sticker on the orange box. We can also get one of our helpful promotions team to visit you
and help. The recycling crews will take all the correct materials within the correct boxes and
leave the incorrect materials. If materials have been left in the boxes, please ensure that you
segregate the materials into the correct boxes and the crews will collect them the following
week.
23. Can I put animal faeces and bedding in the green bin?
No, the material in the green bin is sent for composting. Please put animal faeces and
bedding in a bag in the black bin. You can place dog faeces in a litter bin when you are out
walking your dog for example.
24. As the black bin will now be collected every 3 weeks, will we get a bigger bin?
No, all households will receive an additional recycling box and will be able to recycle
additional materials such as plastic pots, tubs and trays. This means that less items will go
into the black bin therefore less waste will be going to landfill which is expensive and not
sustainable.
25. If I receive a trolley box, will you collect my old recycling boxes?
If you receive a trolley box, it is a good idea for you to keep your old recycling boxes in case
anything happens to your trolley box. The Council can only collect materials from 1 x trolley
box OR 1 x set of blue, red and orange recycling boxes. If you don’t have space for your old
recycling boxes, you can take these to either Gwalchmai or Penhesgyn recycling sites where
they will be recycled (opening times and directions are on the Council’s website). The
Council will not be replacing trolley boxes if lost or damaged however will provide you with a
new orange box instead.
26. What happens if I put the wrong materials in the wrong box?
The Council will collect all accepted materials placed in the correct boxes. Any materials
placed in the incorrect box will be left in the recycling box and will be collected the following
week (dependent on the materials being sorted into the correct boxes).
27. If I receive a trolley box and I already have a red and blue recycling box, can I present all of
them out on collection day?
No, the Council can only collect materials from either 1 x trolley box OR 1 x set of blue, red
and orange recycling boxes. Please ensure that you wash and squash all accepted recyclable
items within the boxes to maximise the amount you can recycle. If you have any further
difficulties, please contact the Waste Management Section on 01248 752860.
28. I have a 360 litre black bin, does that mean that I get 2 trolley-boxes or 2 x sets of recycling
boxes?
No, no one will receive more than 1 x trolley box. Please ensure that you wash and squash
all accepted recyclable items within the boxes to maximise the amount you can recycle. If
you have any further difficulties, please contact the Waste Management Section on 01248
752860.
29. What if I have excess recycling?
Please ensure that you wash and squash all accepted recyclable items within the boxes to
maximise the amount you can recycle. If you have any further difficulties, please contact the
Waste Management Section on 01248 752860.