Answers to all your questions are here
North Tyneside Council will roll out alternate weekly bin collections in August as part of a big push to improve recycling rates across the borough.
Under the new arrangements, residents will have their rubbish collected one week and their recycling the next, as the council strives to reduce landfill waste, minimise the environmental impact of waste collections, and meet national recycling targets.
The change was approved as part of the council’s 2018/19 budget proposals earlier this year and forms part of the authority’s plan for tackling waste in North Tyneside.
The scheme is expected to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill by up to 4,000 tonnes a year, while the annual mileage of bin wagons will come down by an estimated 10,000 miles, resulting in lower vehicle emissions.
The move will bring North Tyneside in line with more than 200 other local authorities across the UK, including every other council in the North East, who already operate an alternate weekly schedule.
North Tyneside’s Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn CBE, said: “More than 75% of councils have already moved to an alternate weekly schedule and many have seen a big increase in recycling and a drop in waste overall, together with significant environmental and financial benefits.
“Fortnightly collections have been proven to succeed by councils across the land, whereas weekly collections are now seen as the exception to the rule.
“North Tyneside did have access to a £3.3million grant from Government to keep the weekly collections going, but that money has now run out and it’s time to take real and meaningful action to address the environmental issues we face as a borough.
“We appreciate that our residents will need to manage their household waste differently but there are some simple steps they can take that will help to maximise the use of their bins and make sure the new system works for everyone in North Tyneside.”
As well as working towards national recycling targets, North Tyneside Council must reduce its spending by £16million in the next financial year and by £37million by 2020 as a result of Government cuts and price pressures.
It costs the council 10 times more to process household waste than it does to process recyclables.
Residents were asked to give their views on a range of options including the frequency of collections, as part of the Big Community Conversation, and the majority opted for a fortnightly service.
Bin collections will continue as normal until the scheme in introduced in August.
Households will receive a new collection calendar through their doors in July, which will provide further details about the scheme, and there is a wealth of information on the council’s website to help people recycle more efficiently.
A list of frequently asked questions is also available on the council’s website.