Reminder about important change to kerbside cardboard collection service

Shropshire Council are reminding residents that as from next week (Monday 28 November 2011) cardboard can no longer be collected as part of the garden waste collection service.

Changes to national composting standards mean that cardboard can no longer be mixed with garden waste in a move designed to improve the quality of compost for the gardening market.
 
The standard, developed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme and composting industry, says cardboard mixed with garden waste has the potential to cause contamination through inks, dyes and plastic coatings.
 
All householders will have received a leaflet informing them of the change and a permanent sticker will be put on garden waste bin lids to act as a reminder to residents not to put cardboard in.
 
Councillor Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling, said:

“We want to remind all residents about this change to their cardboard collections.  As we have said we are really disappointed with this change as it means we will have to change a system which has successfully reduced the amount of waste going to landfill in the county over the last few years. 

“We are committed to finding new ways of collecting cardboard so that this material can continue to be recycled from the kerbside and are currently working with Veolia, the council’s waste contractor, to explore different ways of collecting cardboard in the future.”

Residents can continue to recycle their cardboard by taking it to one of the Household Recycling Centres in Shropshire if they are able to do so.  Otherwise it can be put in the rubbish bin but unfortunately will not be recycled.

To help householders recycle their cardboard more conveniently, Veolia, is looking to provide around 20 recycling banks for cardboard in the near future.