Recycling and Waste Collections

Twin Bin Collection Service

 

The average-size family or household in the UK produces more than a tonne of household waste every year, at least half of which could be recycled. North Norfolk's Twin Bins recycling and refuse collection scheme has been designed to deal with this volume of waste, but only if every household 'signs up' to the scheme and reduces the amount of rubbish produced, by recycling more.

Most households in North Norfolk have been supplied with two 240-litre wheeled bins - a green one for recyclable materials and a grey one for domestic rubbish. Your two bins will hold all the recyclables and rubbish you produce, except for garden waste.

The bins will be collected from the edge, or curtilage, of your property on alternate weeks, so the green bin will be collected one week and the grey one will be collected on the same day a week later. The bins should be wheeled to the edge of your property by 7am on the day of collection.

Green Recycling Bin

This bin is for recyclable materials only:

• Food and drink cans (aluminium and steel)
• Aerosols (empty)
• Plastic bottles (drinks, bleach, shampoo bottles etc) NO OTHER PLASTICS CAN BE COLLECTED – please do not squash bottles, just rinse and remove any lids (put lids in your grey waste bin)
• Paper (not shredded) and cardboard

For the time being, we cannot recycle foil trays and wraps, polystyrene, waxed cartons such as fruit juice cartons, plastics food trays, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs and plastic bags. For glass and textiles, please use local recycling banks (in places like supermarkets and council car parks) and Norfolk County Council Recycling Centres.

Your recyclables should be placed loose in your green bin - not in bags.

If you have more recyclables than will fit inside your green recycling bin, place them neatly inside a box by the bin, but please ensure they are secured to prevent litter. These will be collected on your next recycling collection.

If you are regularly presenting excess recyclable waste and have the space to accommodate an additional 140 litre green recycling bin, then please contact Customer Services Team on 0300 123 1163.

Grey Waste Bin

Once you have separated your recyclables, the rest of the household waste you produce should be placed in the grey bin, including cling film and polystyrene.

The more you recycle, the less you will have to place in the grey bin, which is large enough to hold four or five full (but not crammed) black sacks, or their equivalent.

Do not cram or stuff waste into the grey bin, or put so much in that the lid won't close. The bin is emptied mechanically into the lorry, and if rubbish is so jammed in that it won't fall out, the refuse collectors will return the bin to you full.

Any extra waste left beside your grey bin will not be collected.
You may have concerns with regard to the health and hygiene implications of the grey rubbish bin that will be collected fortnightly. However, there will be little smell and no risk to public health if you double wrap food scraps and remains in plastic bags, double wrap nappies, and store the bin out of direct sunlight.

Let's all make a greater effort to recycle more - don't let North Norfolk go to waste!